


Behind Bars

by SwanQueenUK



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: AU Swanqueen, Anal Fingering, Anal Play, Angst, Comfort, Cunnilingus, Evil Queen | Regina Mills/Emma Swan Fluff, F/F, Friendship, Happy Ending, Lesbian Sex, Prison, Red Riding Hood | Ruby & Emma Swan Friendship, Romance, Smut, Strap-Ons, Vaginal Fingering, Violence, light anal play, lots of smut, swanqueen - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-03-06
Updated: 2016-03-06
Packaged: 2018-05-25 00:22:33
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 46
Words: 115,918
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6172618
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SwanQueenUK/pseuds/SwanQueenUK
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Emma Swan end up in prison aged eighteen after being screwed over by Neal. AU from there. Slow burn SwanQueen with appearances from all your favourite OUAT characters. Rated E for sexy times is chapters 13, 22, 27, 28, 30, 36, 37, 45, and 46</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Locked Away

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first ever long AU. It's already published on ff.net too.
> 
> Now I know I'm not the first writer to base an AU SwanQueen fic in prison. I mean, who doesn't watch Orange is the New Black and imagine Piper as Emma and Alex as Regina, right? But you can't have too much of s good thing so I've written my own. 
> 
> I don't own OUAT so don't sue me for playing with the characters!

Emma rubbed her wrists, soothing the skin where the metal cuffs had irritated them. The over-starched new clothes scratched uncomfortably as she sat down on her bunk, looking around at the four walls which would be her home for the next eleven months. They were painted a depressing green colour and the archway through which she had just entered look out onto a corridor lined with identical rooms. There were two beds. The one on the left had clothes and books strewn all over it while the one on the right looked new, yet unwelcoming. At the foot of each bed was a metal cabinet.

She sighed and flopped back on the thin mattress. She was exhausted after her trial, transportation and processing. Her mind was racing as she considered the events that landed her in prison. Emma supposed it all started when she ran away from her last foster home. Seventeen years of the system had been enough for the young blonde and she had long ago given up trying to fit in to new families or make friends in new towns. Two months with her last "family" had made up her mind. Running away was second nature to foster kids and it had not been difficult to escape undetected in the dead of night and hop a bus out of town.

Admittedly, running away wasn't what had caused the recent turn of events in Emma's life. If only she hadn't been so drawn to the gaudy yellow car. If only her foster brother from when she was thirteen hadn't shown her how to break into cars so effectively. If only Neal hadn't been equally adept at petty crime.

Emma sighed again and rubbed her hands over her tired face. She felt anger flair inside her at the memory of her ex boyfriend. She thought her years in the foster system had jaded her ability to trust so much she would never allow herself to become dependent on one person. But she had. Neal Cassidy had become her whole world when she fell head over heels in love with him in the blink of an eye. She should have known better, Emma thought angrily. She should never have let herself believe she and Neal had something real. She should have known he could never have loved her. She was unlovable. That's what her foster father had told her at seven years old after she knocked over a lamp playing catch in the living room.

Emma was pulled abruptly from her thoughts when her bunk mate entered. She was tall, thin, and had waist length brown hair with a bright red stripe dyed into one side. She had managed to tailor her jumpsuit so it gave her slender frame shape and curves rather than hanging like the potato sack, as it did on most inmates. The lanky girl glanced over at the newcomer before turning to grab her toiletries from her cabinet. One last look at the young blonde and the brunette disappeared.

"That was friendly," Emma muttered under her breath.

Rolling onto her side, she rubbed a hand over her empty stomach, wondering whether there was any chance of getting some food. She had missed dinner because the bus had been held up. Perhaps the kitchen had held some back for the new inmates. Sitting up, she decided to go in search of something to quell her hunger.

Keeping her head down, Emma walked quickly from the bunks and down towards the common areas. Their tour upon arrival had been short but she remembered the way to the dining area. Food was never far from Emma's mind and she considered it of upmost importance to know where the kitchen was, even if the food she was to eat there would probably be vile. However, when Emma stepped into the correct corridor, the closed door and the darkness encasing the room at the end told Emma she was out of luck. Sighing, she turned and tried to remember the way to commissary.

Setting off down the overly bright corridor, Emma found herself outside the bathrooms. Realising she must have taken a wrong turn, she spun around and crashed headlong into another inmate.

"Shit, sorry!" Emma exclaimed as the shorter woman rubbed her forehead where Emma's chin had collided with it.

"No problem," came the meek response. The woman was petit with a cropped bob and a gentle looking face. When she raised her head, Emma smiled apologetically.

"You new?" she asked Emma.

"Yep, arrived this evening. Swan," Emma introduced, holding out her hand.

"Blanchard," the other woman smiled back at her as she shook the proffered hand.

Emma breathed a sigh of relief at having found someone who seemed friendly. "Could you point me towards commissary please."

"Of course," Blanchard smiled at her. "Far end of the corridor, take a right and then the second left."

"Thanks," Emma grinned. "See you around."

She found commissary without any more mishaps and joined the short line, her hunger increasing every moment. Emma knew to keep her head down and avoid confrontations in prison so she leaned against the wall, picking absentmindedly at her stubby nails. No one paid her any attention. As far as they were concerned, she was just another screw up youth who hadn't been smart enough to get away with their petty crime either.

When at last it was Emma's turn, she gave her name and prison number to the blonde behind the screen. After checking her computer, the young woman turned back to Emma.

"Sorry, but you don't have any money in your account yet," she said, not sounding sorry at all.

"Can't I owe you?" Emma pleaded, her stomach offering a rumble as proof of her hunger.

"Nope. Next!" the blonde called.

Helpless, Emma let herself get elbowed aside and turned dejectedly to head back to her bunk. Just her luck to take the bus from the court house which got a flat tyre and therefore delayed their arrival for two hours. Why did everything in Emma's life seem to get screwed up somehow? Shit things just got shitter. And things that seemed great led to shit things.

Emma crumpled onto her bed and curled up into a ball, facing the wall. She would not, could not cry. She had to be strong. That was the only way she was going to get through this.

She smelt rather than heard her bunk mate return. A clean, sweet cherry fragrance washed over Emma as she continued to stare resolutely at the painted breeze blocks before her.

"So what's your name?"

The voice made Emma jump. She hadn't expected any interaction with the seemingly cold girl after her earlier attitude. Emma sat up, wiped her eyes and turned to look at the other bed. The tall young woman was sat with her legs folded underneath her, brushing out her long brown hair. The red stripe was almost invisible now her hair was wet and her face looked softer without the harsh eyeliner that adorned it earlier.

"Swan," Emma said, forcing a smile. She was going to be living in very close proximity with this girl and she wanted to at least be amicable, if not friendly. "You?"

"Luccas," the brunette replied, "but everyone calls me Red."

Emma nodded, unsure what to say next. She knew better than to ask why Red was inside. Instead, she decided to find out how long she was going to be cellmates. "How long are you in for?"

"Fifteen months, I've got six left," Red explained.

"Any tips for surviving in here?" Emma asked.

Laughing, Red nodded. "Keep yourself to yourself. Don't get involved in stupid arguments. And don't trust anyone."

Emma laughed darkly. "That last one should be easy. I'll never trust anyone again."

"Is that what landed you in here? You trusted the wrong person?" Red asked.

"Yep," Emma nodded, wanting to change the subject before the brunette asked any questions about Neal. "What time do they serve breakfast in the morning? Our bus broke down and we missed dinner so I'm starved," Emma explained.

"Eight am sharp. Get there early or the scrambled eggs will be cold and slimy, they cook them en masse beforehand."

Emma wrinkled her nose at the thought but her stomach made an embarrassingly loud rumble at the mention of food.

"Hungry?" Red laughed.

"Famished," Emma admitted. "I've not eaten since before court this morning."

Red hopped off her bed and rummaged around in her cabinet for a moment. "Here," she said as she straightened up and tossed a packet of chips at Emma.

Emma caught the flying food with a look of surprise on her face. Everything she had been told about prison, even a minimum security unit like FCI, warned of unfriendly, hostile, aggressive women who would make her time inside hell.

"You sure," Emma asked tentatively.

"Yeah, I've plenty more where they came from and you can always give me a packet back when your commissary comes in."

"How'd you know I had no money in my account?" Emma asked as she tore open the bag and tucked into the salty snack.

Red shrugged. "Snow told me she sent you that way and I know how shit the admin system can be here."

"Snow?" Emma asked through a mouthful of chips.

"Blanchard," Red corrected herself. "We call her Snow because she's literally perfect, like Snow White, you know?"

"If she's so perfect, why is she in prison?" Emma asked before pausing mid-chew. She had forgotten the number one rule of prison. Never ask someone what they're inside for.

Red's face hardened slightly but she knew Emma was aware of her mistake by the way the blonde had frozen in place. "That's not for me to say," Red said, diplomatically. "But once you get to know her, you'll see why she got her nickname."

Emma smiled, relieved Red had allowed her some grace for her mistake. Finishing up the chips, she licked her salty fingers clean and dropped the empty bag in the trash at the end of her bed.

"Thanks, Red, they were amazing," Emma grinned, patting her satiated stomach.

"No problem," Red nodded. "You'd better go shower and brush your teeth. Lights go out in fifteen minutes."

Emma nodded and began to unpack the starter pack each new inmate had been handed when they arrived. Two tiny bottles told Emma she would be using all in one shampoo and conditioner and rose scented body wash. A skinny toothbrush and a small tube of toothpaste were also provided. Her towel was laid on the end of the bed, clearly second hand but thankfully stain free, so she picked it up, smiled once more at Red before heading out of the bunk and towards the bathrooms.

The lukewarm water trickled pathetically from the grimy shower head, dampening Emma's hair before running in rivulets down her naked body. She leaned against the wall, gasping quietly as the cold tiles came into contact with her skin. Emma ran her hands through her straggly hair before reaching for the shampoo-conditioner combo. The watery liquid pooled in her hand before sloshing onto the floor. Cursing, she dumped the rest onto her hair and lathered as much as she could, which wasn't much considering the quality of the product. Rinsing quickly, Emma turned to the body wash. The sickly, old lady smell almost made her gag but she forced herself to give her whole body a quick scrub, using her hands since she had been unable to buy a washcloth from the commissary.

Once she was clean again, Emma shut off the water and reached for her towel. The material scratched her body as she dried off, but Emma didn't mind. It made her feel alive, invigorated somehow. Slipping her panties and bra back on, she wrapped her dripping wet hair in the towel and donned the beige prison regulation pyjamas before exiting the bathroom stall. A few other inmates were milling around the communal bathroom but Emma kept her head down and moved straight to the sink at the far end, set her toiletries down and began to brush her teeth.

Spitting her toothpaste out, Emma rinsed her mouth and straightened up to glance at her reflection in the mirror. She looked even paler than usual, her eyes sunken slightly and her face was thinner. She patted her cheeks, trying to bring some colour to them before she gathered her things to take back to her bunk. Just before she turned away, something, or rather someone, caught her eye in the mirror.

A woman with long, dark, wavy hair had emerged from a shower stall, wrapped in a towel and wearing a haughty, regal look. As soon as she headed towards the sinks, the few inmates at the far end moved aside to make room for the new woman, steadily avoiding eye contact. The few quiet conversations which had been happening fell silent. Emma watched in the mirror as the woman placed her bulging toiletry bag down and pulled out various face creams and lotions. As she began what was evidently her nightly routine a quiet bang echoed around the now silent bathroom. The brunette glanced to her right, looking directly at the blonde at the far end of the line of sinks. Emma's breath hitched as the dark brown eyes met her own. They held each other's gaze for a few moments before Emma looked away, blinking rapidly and fumbling to pick up her body wash bottle from the floor.

Regina watched the young blonde scuttle from the bathroom before smirking as she went back to applying her moisturiser.


	2. Stolen Property

Emma slept badly. It wasn't so much the uncomfortable mattress as the endless noises echoing through the bunks. Coughs, shouts, snores, bangs, and occasionally the unmistakable moans of sexual liaisons. She tossed and turned, trying unsuccessfully to block out the sounds with her lumpy pillow.

Watery sunlight struck her face soon after she finally drifted off. Grumbling, Emma rolled over and faced the wall, cracking her eye open and taking in her surroundings. An unfamiliar green breeze block wall stared back at her. Frowning, the blonde sat up and looked around as the events of the previous day flooded back. Court. Sentencing. The bus. Arriving at prison. Meeting Red. The brown eyed woman in the bathroom.

Emma flopped back down on the bed and shielded her face from the sunlight with her forearm. From her right came the sound of sleepy movement as her bunkmate began to wake. The alarm clock glowing on Red's cabinet told Emma it was 7:23. Deciding she wanted to get to the dining hall as soon as possible, Emma swung her legs out of bed and winced as her bare soles hit the chilly cement floor. She slid her feet under her bed until her toes collided with the flimsy slippers that had been in her welcome pack the previous evening.

Once her feet were encased in scratchy wool, she stood up, stretched her arms and moved to her cabinet to find her things. Squatting down, Emma swung open the door and reached for her toiletries and toilet paper. The room was still in semi-darkness and she couldn't see well inside the unit but even through the gloom, she could tell her cabinet was empty.

"What the hell?" she muttered to herself, fumbling right to the back in case anything was left. Her fingers touched something and she picked it up. Her toothbrush.

"Forgot to lock your cabinet?" came the sleepy voice of Red.

"I didn't know I had to," growled Emma, banging the door shut and sitting with her back against it, toothbrush in her clenched fist. "According to the law, I'm a thief. Didn't realise I had to worry about my own crappy belongings."

"Yeah, don't leave anything unattended in this dump," Red advised, sitting up and rubbing the sleep from her eyes.

"Learnt that the hard way didn't I," Emma laughed darkly.

"You can borrow my stuff until you get to commissary later," Red offered, standing up and reaching under her mattress for the key to her own cabinet's padlock.

"Thanks," Emma said gratefully, "I'd be totally screwed without you!"

Red laughed and threw Emma her toothpaste and some toilet roll.

Emma pushed herself to her feet, kicked her cabinet for good measure, and limped off towards the bathroom, the pain in her big toe doing nothing to improve her mood.

It was much busier in the bathroom than she had expected, and Emma found women chatting whilst they jostled for sink space and queued for showers. A quick glance around told her the brunette she had seen the night before was not there. Squeezing herself between the wall and a young black woman, Emma splashed some water onto her face before using the tiniest amount possible of Red's toothpaste to brush her teeth.

The women around her paid no attention as she went about her little routine and for that Emma was glad. She spat out her toothpaste and headed towards the toilet stalls at the far end of the room. The queue was short and in no time Emma found herself mercifully in the privacy of the dim cubicle. She realised the previous night this was the only "room" she had easy access to with a door that locked. How depressing was it that the room in which she felt most safe was a toilet!

She finished peeing, washed her hands and headed back to her bunk where she thanked Red for the loan of her things and began to get dressed. Thankfully, whoever had stolen all of Emma's belongings left her underwear and the spare set of prison overalls that she'd folded on top of the cabinet. Once dressed, Emma sat on her bed, waiting for Red's clock to tell her it was time for breakfast. Her stomach was uncomfortably empty and she couldn't wait to eat food, regardless of the standard.

"Wanna join me for breakfast?" Red offered as she walked back from the bathroom. "I can tell you where not to sit."

"There's a seating plan?" Emma asked, eyebrows raised.

"Not exactly," Red said, wondering how best to explain prison hierarchy without scaring off the newbie. "It's more that there are people to avoid and others you don't want to piss off."

"Any help would be appreciated in that case!" Emma grinned as she stood up and followed Red out of their bunk.

The dining room was busier than Emma had expected. She had been told there were just shy of 125 inmates in her wing of the prison, all aged 18 to 25, and it seemed most of them knew to get to breakfast early. The two young women joined the queue, chatting together but talking about nothing in particular as they made their way to the front.

Grabbing a plastic tray, Emma felt like she was back at school as she shuffled sideways along the serving counter, getting over cooked eggs, cold beans and some undercooked bacon dumped unceremoniously on her plate. There was a bread and toast section at the far end. Grabbing two of the least burnt pieces, Emma followed Red to a table in the far left corner. Blanchard was already sitting there, chatting with a blonde girl Emma hadn't met yet.

"Hey," the pixie haired woman greeted as Emma slid into a seat. "Swan right?"

"Yep, hi," Emma said, taking a swig of her coffee and grimacing at the bitter taste.

The other woman at the table laughed at her reaction. "You get used to it," she assured Emma with a friendly smile. "I'm Boyd," she introduced.

"Swan. Nice to meet you," Emma smiled shyly before shovelling in some eggs to get rid of the taste of bad coffee lingering on her tongue.

"You back at work today Red?" Boyd asked, turning back to speak to Emma's bunk mate.

"Yep," the brunette confirmed. "Thank God, I was going crazy sitting around all day."

"Why did you stop working?" Emma asked.

"Busted my ankle," Red shrugged.

From the snickers that came from Boyd and Blanchard, Emma knew there was more to the story but she decided not to push.

"Have you got a work detail yet?" Blanchard asked her.

"Nope, I'm meeting my counsellor today to discuss it though."

"Who's your counsellor?" Boyd asked.

"Erm, Booth I think."

"Ooooh," Boyd giggled. "Lucky you, he's a cutie."

"I'm steering well clear of men at the moment," Emma growled, memories of Neal flashing in her mind. "Far more trouble than they're worth."

"Amen to that," Red said, pointing her fork at Emma with a limp piece of bacon swinging from the end. "My life was much easier from the moment I decided to date women."

"Except for the fact that your ex girlfriend was a drug dealer and you got charged for possession right Red?" Boyd quipped.

Red stuck her tongue out at the blonde and munched on her bacon before turning back to Emma. "Nah, trust me Swan. Life with women is far simpler than with men. Just avoid the druggie lesbians and you'll be fine."

The women all laughed and finished their breakfast, exchanging light banter and mundane conversation.

As Emma carried her tray over to the dirty dish counter, she scanned the room surreptitiously. She wasn't exactly sure what she was looking for but her subconscious was clearly searching for something, or someone. The blonde walked back to her bunk feeling disappointed but she couldn't quite understand why. She had made it through her first meal in prison, met another friendly inmate, and not made any enemies. It seemed the morning of day one of the 334 she was required to stay in FCI had gone as well as could be expected.

When the two girls got back to their bunk, Red began getting ready for work as she was due to clock in at 9am.

"What do you do?" Emma asked as she sat on her bed and watched Red apply her makeup and style her hair.

"Gardening," she replied through a mouthful of bobby pins. "Don't look so surprised," she grinned as Emma's eyebrows shot up. "I may take good care of my nails but I love the outdoors. That's one of the things I hate most about this place, being cooped up all day long. Gardening allows me to get outside more than I would usually be allowed."

"Sounds like a pretty good gig," Emma nodded. "Any ideas on things to avoid saying to Booth if I want to get a decent work detail today?"

"Just don't say you're good a fixing things. Plumbing and electrical are the worst."

"Thanks," Emma grinned.

"What time's your appointment with him?" Red asked as she stood to head out for work.

"9.30."

"Well my advice is to put on a bit of makeup, don't lie - Booth hates that - and don't be late,"

"Gotcha," Emma smiled. "Thanks so much Red."

"No problem, I'll see you at lunch."

Long brown and red hair whipped around the corner as Red jogged out of their bunk.

Emma decided she may as well head over to commissary and see if her money had made its way into the account. Her lawyer had arranged for $50 to be transferred after she had been charged so at least she would be able to replace her stolen items and maybe buy a few home comforts. She supposed she ought to buy something for Red to say thank you for all her help. And a padlock, she mused as she stood up and made her way through the quiet corridors towards commissary.

This time there was no queue as almost everyone was at their work detail. The same surly blonde was sat behind the screen.

"Hi," Emma said. "Swan, prison number 108412."

She waited impatiently as the other woman tapped her details into the computer.

"You're in luck Swan," she drawled. "Money's been deposited. What can I get for you?"

Breathing a sigh of relief, Emma reeled off her list: toilet paper, toothpaste, shampoo, conditioner, a washcloth, face wipes, a hairbrush, hair ties ,tampons, mascara, lip gloss, a padlock, five packets of salt and vinegar chips, and one packet of steak flavoured chips for Red. Pausing at the thought of her bunk mate, Emma peered past the blonde at the stacked shelves behind.

"You don't happen to know anything Red, I mean, Luccas, is particularly fond of do you?" Emma asked the inmate manning commissary.

"Nope," she supplied unhelpfully.

"Ok, then I guess I'll take a packet of skittles and a mars bar."

Nodding curtly, the blonde flitted around retrieving Emma's items before dumping them on the counter. "This lot all comes to $16.40," she announced, glancing at the screen.

Emma blinked in surprise before nodding shortly. Clearly her money was not going to last her long. She would have to figure out how to get more cash into her commissary somehow. Making a mental note to speak to Booth about that, Emma scooped her new belongings into her arms and headed back down the corridor. Remembering her meeting with the counsellor had to be approaching fast, Emma hurried her step a little, not wanting to be late on the first day.

As she turned the corner, Emma collided headlong with a woman coming the other way.

"Shit," she exclaimed as everything she was carrying tumbled to the floor. Bending down to gather them back up, Emma glanced up at the person she had run into and felt her heart stop. There, stood above her, was the brunette she had spotted in the bathroom the previous evening. The older woman was giving Emma an appraising look as the blonde scrambled around at her feet.

When at last she had everything securely in her arms, Emma straightened up and looked shyly at the woman still stood before her. "Sorry," she offered weakly.

"You need to be more careful," Regina said, the rich tone of her voice making something twitch deep inside Emma.

"I know, I'm really sorry. I was in a rush to get to my counsellor and …" she trailed off pathetically.

"You're taking all this to your counsellor?" the brunette asked, a perfectly plucked eyebrow raised.

"N-No," Emma stammered, unable to drag her eyes away from the deep chocolate orbs before her. "I needed to replace my things. Someone stole them last night."

The brunette tutted. "Some criminals have no manners," she remarked as she continued to look over the younger woman before her.

Emma tittered at the joke before flushing at her childish response. Regina smirked internally at the effect she was having on the blonde but continued to level the younger woman with a condescending gaze, enjoying the evident discomfort.

"Well, I suggest you hurry off Miss Swan. You wouldn't want to be late for Counsellor Booth," Regina said as she moved past Emma and down the corridor towards commissary.

Emma stood, watching her go, transfixed by the seductive sway of the woman's hips as she sauntered up to the counter.

"Wait, how did you know my name?" Emma called after her.

Regina turned and smirked. "I know everything that goes on in here Miss Swan. You'd do well to remember that."


	3. Bitch Fight

"Come in," called a cheerful voice after Emma knocked on the door bearing the plaque Counsellor A. W. Booth.

Emma pushed the door open and walked inside. Behind an untidy desk sat a smiling, bearded man. He was younger than Emma had anticipated, no older than thirty, and his blue eyes twinkled in a friendly way as he gestured for Emma to take a seat in the chair opposite his own.

"Hello Swan," he greeted. "My name is Booth and I'll be your counsellor whilst you're at FCI."

"Hi," Emma said quietly.

"How are you settling it?" he asked, reaching into his filing cabinet and locating Emma's file.

"Pretty well I think," Emma said. "My bunk mate has been really nice and I've met a few other inmates who seem friendly too."

Booth nodded absently as he scanned the first few pages of Emma's notes.

"Ok, so you were busted for possession of stolen property," he read. "Eleven months for a first offence. That's pretty steep."

Emma shrugged. "My lawyer said it was because the watches were worth so much. I think it was because he was only about a year older than me."

The man gave a light chuckle before he frowned down at the notes in front of him. "And yet you were only caught with one watch?"

"Yes," Emma confirmed. "But they think I know where the others are."

"And do you?" Booth asked.

"In a manner of speaking," she shrugged. Emma knew Neal had the watches, she just didn't know the exact location of her ex.

Booth decided not to probe further. "So this meeting is really just for you to meet me and ask any questions etcetera. Also, we'll be discussing your work detail. We encourage inmates to acquire useful skills whilst inside. It helps when securing employment once you get out."

Emma nodded, smiling at the relaxed, easy going attitude her counsellor seemed to have. She was glad he hadn't asked about Neal or her trial. She knew she was supposed to be able to talk to Booth about anything but Emma didn't want to discuss either subject on her first day inside.

"So any questions?"

"Just one," Emma said. "My lawyer arranged for some money to go into my commissary but I don't think it will last long. How do I go about getting more in the account?"

"There are two ways to do that. Firstly, ask a friend or family member on the outside to transfer some money across. It's very easy to do. They just need your prisoner number and the name of the facility you're in, and they can do it by calling a free number." Booth slid a small card with the instructions printed on across his desk.

"Not an option," Emma declared, pushing the card aside.

Booth raised an eyebrow and the finality of the statement and action but continued. "Option two is working in here. Inmates get paid 43 cents per hour. It's not much, I know, but it adds up and will ensure you have enough money to buy essentials from commissary."

"What sort of work is available?" Emma asked.

"I think we've got a couple of slots open and they'll be allocated on a first come first serve basis," Booth said, rummaging for another piece of paper. "Erm, yes we have a detail in electrical, and another in laundry."

"Both sound equally shit," Emma grumbled.

Booth laughed. "Well criminals don't exactly get luxury treatment, I'm afraid. You're going to have to suck it up."

"Do I have to decide today?"

"No, but the sooner you do, the sooner you'll start work and the more likely it will be that you'll get your preferred job. The money you earn will be deposited every week into your commissary," Booth advised.

"Ok, can I come back this afternoon and let you know my decision."

"Of course. Is there anything else, Swan?"

"No, that's all I think."

"Ok, well it was nice to meet you and please come by any time. My door is always open," the young man smiled, the corners of his eyes crinkling as he did.

"How was Booth?" Red asked as she walked into their bunk two hours later.

"Fine, he seems nice," Emma replied from where she lay on her bed filing her nails with a miniature, cardboard emory board she purchased from commissary after her meeting. She had passed the morning organising her new possessions and finding the best hiding place for her padlock key. She'd settled on her bra.

"Get your work detail?"

"I have a choice - electrical or laundry. Any advice?"

"Laundry," Red confirmed as she fished around in her cabinet for her toiletries. "Boyd works there so you'll have a friendly face. Plus, most of the time you're just sat around waiting for the machine cycles to finish. It's a pretty easy gig."

"Great, thanks," Emma grinned. "Are you coming to lunch?"

"I've gotta shower first," Red said, gesturing to her soil stained hands. "Gardening is sweaty work, even in February."

Emma laughed and stood up. "I guess I'll see you after then."

Lunch appeared to be some form of shepherd's pie served with over boiled peas which had turned an unappetising dark green colour. Helping herself to orange juice, Emma turned and scanned the hall for a familiar face. When she found none, she headed towards an empty table and sat down.

Tucking into the surprisingly tasty, if a little too salty, meal, Emma looked around surreptitiously as she ate. The dining hall was loud, snatches of conversations drifting to her ears as fellow inmates chatted to each other over lunch. The women seemed happy enough, and it was evident to Emma that close friendships and bonds could be developed here.

As she wondered about who might become her closest friend, a tall redheaded woman slipped into the seat opposite her. Emma raised her head at the movement and was stunned by the intense grey-blue eyes she found staring back at her.

"Hi," she muttered, focusing back on her food. Something seemed off with this woman and Emma didn't want to find out what.

"Well hello to you too dear," the woman said, her British accent surprising Emma. "What's your name?"

"Swan," Emma replied, not wanting to cause offence by being rude nor invite further conversation by asking the other woman a question.

"Nice to meet you Swan, I'm West," she said in a friendly tone as she tucked into her own meal.

"What are you doing, West?" came a familiar voice from behind Emma.

Whipping her head around, Emma looked up into the unforgettable face of the brunette she had seen in the bathroom and again earlier that morning. This time however, she was not alone. Stood just behind her was the blonde woman from commissary, a young black girl Emma thought she recognised from the bathroom, and a platinum blonde woman with a permanent sneer etched across her pinched face.

"Hello sis," said the woman opposite Emma. At that, the blonde whipped her head back around to stare at the grey eyed woman. How on earth was she related to the brunette beauty behind her? They were chalk and cheese in terms of appearance.

"Don't call me that," drawled Regina. "And stop trying to recruit the new inmates into your non existent posse. They'll soon see you for the wicked bitch you really are. Keep yourself to yourself and you can finish your sentence in peace."

To Emma's ears, the brunette's words sounded very much like a veiled threat. She couldn't believe such a composed, presumably educated, and stunningly beautiful woman would be capable of violence. But then, Emma laughed to herself, she didn't know what the brunette was in prison for.

"Something funny, Miss Swan?" Regina asked, directing her attention to the seated blonde.

Shit, Emma thought. I must have laughed out loud.

"No," Emma mumbled, turning back to her food and shovelling in a mouthful.

"Leave now please, West," Regina said, turning back to her sister.

"Make me," West challenged.

Quick as a flash, the three women who had previously been stood behind Regina darted around and dragged West from her seat, throwing her to the floor. The platinum blonde landed a well placed kick to West's stomach and the redhead curled in on herself, crying out in pain. Emma jumped to her feet, not sure what to do but knowing she had to do something. A hand landed firmly on her shoulder, forcing her back down. Regina kept her hand in place, feeling the young blonde shaking with fear as she calmly watched her three friends continue to kick her sister.

Inmates all around had stood from their lunches and rushed to watch, cat calling and jeering as the women continued their assault. The commotion alerted a nearby guard who ran towards the group, shouting and pulling his baton from his belt. The circle of inmates parted to let the man through, and he pulled the black woman away from West first, followed by the commissary attendant. The lanky woman stopped of her own accord when her fellow attackers were pushed forcibly against the nearby wall, slinking to stand behind Regina.

The guard, whose badge told Emma his name was Hunter, crouched down beside the injured redhead, speaking rapidly into his radio and checking West for obvious injuries.

Sitting up slowly, the redhead pushed Hunter's hand away, unwilling to show any more weakness than she already had. A pale hand came up to wipe the blood from her lip before she glanced up at the brunette who was standing a little way away and looking down with a satisfied smirk on her face.

"Alright, everyone sit back down and get on with your lunch," Hunter barked.

The crowd dispersed quickly, Regina and her remaining companion included.

"Not you Mills, Feinberg," Hunter called after their retreating forms.

The two women turned around, and one glance from Regina forced Feinberg to walk and stand next to the black woman and the other blonde, both of whom still had their backs against the wall.

Another guard jogged into the room, heading straight for the three women.

"What happened?" he asked Hunter who was still kneeling beside West.

"Bitch fight," Hunter muttered. "Nolan, do me a favour and take those three and Mills to see the warden. I'm taking West to the infirmary."

"I'm fine," West spat as she pushed herself to stand on wobbly legs.

"You don't have a choice inmate," Hunter declared, pushing her gently towards the door. Scowling, the redhead conceded and began to limp from the dining hall.

Nolan led the other four women in the opposite direction. Regina walked tall and strong, her brunette hair perfectly styled whilst her slightly dishevelled group marched along behind her.

Emma watched the events unfold in silence. When all five women had left the room, the blonde remembered she had been eating lunch before everything had gone crazy. Now, she found her appetite had disappeared and she pushed her half eaten dinner away. Emma sat in a stupor, hardly able to believe what she had seen but after a couple of minutes, she dumped her leftovers and headed back to her bunk.

"Hey," Red greeted, looking up from the magazine she was flicking through as Emma entered. "You ok? You look like you've seen a ghost."

"There was a fight," Emma said numbly.

"Ah," Red nodded knowingly, closing the glossy pages before her. "Who was it?"

"Mills and her hench women started kicking the shit out of some red-haired girl who was talking to me."

"West talked to you?" Red asked, standing up before crossing to sit beside Emma.

"Yeah, why?" Emma turned to look at her bunkmate.

"I thought she'd learnt her lesson after last time," Red said. At Emma's blank expression, she elaborated. "Mills and West are sisters. Different fathers hence the different surnames. They hate each other and they've been feuding ever since West got sentenced here before Christmas. She's the only one in this hell hole stupid enough to take on Mills. Not that she'll ever win."

"So Mills is top dog?"

"Exactly," Red nodded. "You don't mess with the queen."

"Why did West talk to me?"

Red shrugged. "She probably wanted to make you her friend before anyone poisoned you against her. Everyone who's been in here a day knows she's radioactive because of her feud with Mills. Being friendly with West is a sure way to get your ass kicked by the queen's cronies."

"But Mills started the fight unprovoked," Emma said, confused.

"How do you mean?"

"She came over to us. West sat at my table and Mills came and told her sister to stop talking to me. Why would she do that? Why does she care if I talk to West or not?"

Red considered the question. "I'm not sure. Had you ever seen Mills before?"

"Twice," Emma confirmed, flushing slightly at the thought of how awkward and dorky she had been during both encounters.

"Hmmm, maybe she sees some potential in you. She probably doesn't want you teaming up with West. Or she wants you all to herself."

Emma's eyebrows raised and her cheeks darkened further at the offhand comment but Red didn't notice. She had already returned to her own bunk and reopened her magazine.

"Want to do a quiz to find out what your spirit animal is? I'm a wolf," she grinned, baring her teeth in a mock snarl.

Emma laughed and nodded, folding her legs underneath her and trying to concentrate on the questions Red was asking. Despite her best efforts, she was unable to banish the face of a certain brunette from her mind.


	4. Witchy Powers

Emma crossed off the day on her calendar and climbed into her bunk. With her head on her pillow, she looked at the seven boxes, neatly marked with a red X. She had survived her first week inside. Only 327 more days to go and she would be free again. Despite the daunting length of time, Emma smiled at the thought of her far off freedom.

Rolling onto her side, and pulling the thin duvet more closely around her, Emma closed her eyes and replayed the events of the previous week. Her work detail was going well. Boyd had turned out to be hilarious, and she and Emma shared jokes throughout their laundry shifts. The blonde had told Emma all about her boyfriend, Sean, and how the two of them were going to get married and have lots of babies as soon as she got out. Boyd had another thirteen months left of her fraud sentence and Emma had had to stop herself rolling her eyes at the young woman's insistence that Sean would remain faithful to her until them. Emma didn't trust men any more. She didn't trust anyone.

Emma and Red were growing closer too and the brunette had even spoken to Emma about how she got busted with her ex girlfriend's cocaine. Despite feeling sorry for Red, Emma had always been adamantly anti-drug and was unable to feel too sympathetic for the former addict. However, it seemed Red had turned her life around inside, got clean, and was developing excellent green fingers. Emma hadn't been able to stop laughing earlier in the week when the brunette went into a passionate speech about the ambitions she had for her vegetable patch come summertime.

Emma ate lunch every day with Red, Blanchard (whom Emma had now been invited to call Snow), and Boyd. The four women enjoyed each other's company and often hung out in their bunks in the evenings when the television room was too crowded or they didn't want to watch the current show. They made Emma feel like perhaps her time here could be endured amongst friends.

Emma had not seen Mills, Feinberg or the other two women, whom Red had told her were called Faery and Trident, since they were escorted from the dining hall six days prior. West had returned, a butterfly bandage on her lip and purple bruises visible on her arms. Emma suspected the rest of her body looked much the same after the beating she had endured. She hadn't approached the redhead to ask how she was doing and West hadn't made any attempt to speak to Emma either. In Faery's absence, commissary had been manned by Rose, a blonde friend of Red's who was often dozing in her seat when Emma went to purchase something.

Despite the vicious attack Mills had ordered on her own sister, Emma struggled to keep her mind off the intriguing brunette. She knew she should be repulsed by the actions of the older woman but there was something about her Emma was drawn to. She didn't know what and she was almost afraid to find out but the blonde couldn't stop herself scanning the dining hall hopefully every meal time.

Rolling onto her other side, Emma tried to quiet her brain and slowly slipped off to sleep.

The following morning was a Saturday. To most of the inmates, that meant a visitation day. Excited chatter echoed around the bunks as the girls got ready to greet family and friends. Emma sat quietly on her mattress, watching as Red braided Boyd's hair, the two of them talking animatedly about Sean's visit. Red herself was looking forward to seeing her ex boyfriend, Peter. The two had broken up years ago but still remained good friends and he made the trip out to FCI once a month to visit Red.

Emma watched sadly as her two new friends left with cheery waves to see their loved ones. Emma pulled her calendar towards her and flicked through it, counting weeks. 46 more lonely Saturdays to endure. She sighed and flopped back down onto the bed, listening to the uncharacteristically quiet bunk area.

Immersed in one of Red's trashy magazine, Emma didn't hear the other inmate walking down the corridor outside her bunk, nor did she notice when the footsteps slowed as they passed the archway to her room. If she had, she would have noted how the footsteps continued for a few yards before stopping completely. A squeak of rubber on the tiles indicated to anyone who was listening that the inmate had swivelled on their toes and then the footsteps recommenced, stopping when they reached the doorless doorway.

"Good morning Miss Swan."

The deep, sultry tones caused Emma to jump, sitting up in her bed and dropping the magazine to the floor. Regina laughed at the blonde's startled actions, a rich sound Emma wanted to hear again and again.

"H-Hello," Emma stammered, unsure quite what to do.

"How are you settling in?" the brunette asked, stepping uninvited inside Emma's bunk.

"Fine, thanks," Emma all but whispered, watching as Regina walked towards her cabinet, absentmindedly picking up a couple of Emma's possessions before placing them back down.

"Counting down the days I see," the brunette smiled, indicating the calendar.

"Yep, helps me stay positive," Emma said. She felt incredibly awkward, unsure how to sit, what to do with her hands. Should she stand up? Emma heart raced as she waited for the brunette to say something else.

"No visitation for you today?" the brunette asked casually.

Emma almost laughed. It was clear the older woman knew the answer to the question and was merely fishing for information. The blonde decided not to give it to her.

"Nope," Emma shook her head, reaching down to retrieve the magazine and placing it on the bed once more.

"Family is overrated," Regina said, darkly.

"Agreed," Emma said, memories of various foster parents flashing uninvited through her mind. The blonde shivered involuntarily.

"It appears you have equal reason as I do to dislike family members," Regina commented, noticing Emma's reaction.

"Perhaps. But I've never ordered my cronies to beat the shit out of my sister before."

Emma froze as soon as the words had left her mouth. Regina placed the calendar she was still holding back on the cabinet and moved to sit opposite Emma on Red's bed. The temperature in the room dropped several degrees as Regina caught Emma's fearful green gaze with her own steely brown eyes.

"Please don't make assumptions about my life before you know me, Miss Swan. You know nothing about my relationship with my half-sister. Nor my friends for that matter."

Emma wanted to look away from the chocolate eyes. She wanted to curl up into a ball. She wanted the brunette to leave her bunk and never come back. But before she could stop them, more words tumbled from her lips.

"I don't know what's happened in your past but nothing gives you the right to use your witchy powers over three stupefied inmates to attack anyone."

Emma clapped her hand to her mouth. Her current situation was literally the worst time possible to have verbal diarrhoea! Emma's heart thudded against her rib cage as she waited for the older woman to react.

A perfectly sculpted eyebrow raised at the blonde's words. There was a pregnant pause as Regina surveyed the petrified woman before her.

"Witchy powers?"

A bark of laughter escaped Emma. Of all the things for the brunette to focus on, it had to be that.

"Well, yeah," Emma said, grinning shyly at Mills, hoping the older woman would see the humour in Emma's statement.

Regina couldn't help the slight curve in her lip at the blonde's reaction. There was something endearing about the young woman. She seemed relatively innocent and naive in some ways and yet there was a spark, a fire, inside of her Regina found herself wanting to learn more about. There was something different about the blonde, something enticing and it wasn't just her stunning eyes nor the mass of blonde curls. Regina couldn't help but imagine that hair fanned out on a pillow or with her own hands fisted tightly in it.

Emma waited as the brunette observed her, a slight upward twitch in her lip the only indication she had heard the blonde. As the younger woman watched, Mills shifted slightly on the bed, pressing her thighs together. Emma's cheeks flushed as she watched the movement, although she wasn't entirely sure why.

"Well, Miss Swan. This has been a most interesting discussion but I'm afraid I must be off now. I shall see you around, dear."

With that, Regina stood and swept gracefully from the bunk, Emma watching her go dumbfounded before cradling her head in her hands and groaning loudly.

"How was your morning?" Red asked as she bounced back into their room.

"Odd," Emma declared. "How was Peter?"

"It was great to see him. We had a catch up about all our mutual friends so I'm all up to date on the gossip again," Red grinned. "What was odd about your morning?"

"Mills came to see me."

"What?" Red asked, jaw agape.

"Yeah," Emma nodded. "My reaction exactly."

"What did she say? What did you say?"

"She asked if I had a visitor today. Then she said family was overrated. Then I called her a witch for using her cronies to beat up West."

"You did what?" Red screeched. "And she left without doing anything to you?"

Emma nodded slowly.

"Shit," Red said, sitting down on her bed heavily. "She'll be gunning for you now Swan."

"You think," Emma asked, fear bubbling inside her at her bunk mate's reaction.

"You don't insult the queen and get away with it," Red declared. "Did you apologise?"

"Didn't get the chance," Emma shrugged. "She walked out pretty soon after I blurted out what is apparently a death sentence."

"Shit," Red repeated.

"What should I do?" Emma asked, desperate for help.

"Well, Mills isn't one to get her hands dirty and from what I've heard, Feinberg, Trident, and Faery are in SHU for another week. Which means you've got seven days to get into her highness' good books or you should probably expect trouble."

Emma nodded. She could do that. She could be charming when she wanted to be. It was one of the reasons shop keepers never suspected she and Neal were about to rob their store.

"Hey girls," came a voice from the doorway.

"Hi Snow," Red greeted, Emma absentmindedly nodded her head in acknowledgement, still lost in thought.

"What's up with you, Swan?"

When Emma didn't reply, Red spoke. "She angered the queen."

"Oh dear," Snow said, moving to sit beside Emma and put a comforting arm around the blonde. "I'm sure you'll find a way to fix it."

"I called her a witch," Emma mumbled, staring at her knees.

"Oh," Snow replied, eyebrows raised. "Well, good luck with that dilemma and let us know if you need a hand." A reassuring squeeze to Emma's shoulders made the blonde almost want to burst into tears at the kindness her two friends were showing her. If the blonde was in Mills' bad books, being associated with Emma was dangerous. She was grateful Red and Snow didn't seem to mind.

"Anyway," said Snow's cheery voice, "I came to see if you two ladies are ready for lunch. Nolan told me they're serving lasagne today and that's one of the best meals here."

"Ooh Nolan told you eh," Red teased, laughing as Snow's face blushed.

"Shut it Luccas," Snow said before turning to Emma. "You coming Swan?"

Nodding, Emma pushed herself off her bed and followed her two friends from the bunk. As she reached the end of the sleeping area, something made her glance into the last bunk. She gasped as rich brown eyes met her own. Stumbling slightly, Emma righted herself and kept walking, forcing herself to keep looking forward.

Regina laughed quietly as she continued to unpack her things. The bunk reassignment had been a condition of her only enduring one week in SCU. After she locked her cabinet and smoothed the sheets on her bed, the brunette applied a little more lip gloss in her compact mirror (plastic of course) and followed the blonde down the corridor towards the dining room.


	5. Sucker Punch

Emma joined the short line for lunch behind Red and Snow. Red was talking about one of her friends whom Peter was now dating and the two women were trying to decide if Red had a right to hate said friend for dating her ex or not. Phrases such as "bros before hoes" and "chicks before dicks" were quoted as the two women debated.

Half listening to her two friends but not contributing to the conversation, Emma stood pondering how she could get back in favour with Mills. Well, maybe not in favour but at least out of trouble. She didn't notice that the older woman had entered the dining hall soon after herself until she watched the brunette walk straight past her and right to the front of the queue. None of the inmates even grumbled or questioned at the queen bee's actions. The blonde watched as Mills leaned over the service counter, spoke to the head chef, a young girl with bright red hair, and then walked around and disappeared into the back of the kitchen.

"Hey guys," Emma said, catching her friends' attention. "Why did Mills just walk into the kitchen?"

"Dunno," Snow shrugged before turning back to speak to Red.

Red herself said nothing but Emma saw her eyes dart momentarily to the prison kitchens before she and Snow resumed their conversation.

Strange, Emma thought, as they finally reached the front of the line. Sliding her tray along and being handed her lasagne, Emma peered past the servers and tried to catch a glimpse of the brunette to see what she was up to. The head chef, whom Emma though was called Athena, had also disappeared from the front station but the blonde could see neither woman further back in the kitchen.

Turning to follow Red and Snow to their usual table, Emma absentmindedly sat down and tucked into her lasagne. Snow was right, it was one of the best meals she had so far eaten inside. She ate quickly, enjoying the tasty food for once and soon got dragged into the girls' conversation about whether dating your friends' ex was acceptable or not.

"Enjoying your lunch, Miss Swan?"

Emma almost choked on her mouthful of lasagne as she looked up in shock and fright at the brunette stood before her.

Clearing her throat, she wiped her mouth with a napkin before replying. "Erm, yeah it's actually good food today."

"It's the red pepper flakes. Gives it some kick," she informed, her tone deep and sultry. "May I have a word please, Miss Swan?"

Dumbfounded, Emma nodded and stood to follow Mills from the dining hall. Snow and Red watched her leave with their mouths open. The brunettes exchanged a worried look as their new friend trailed out of the dining hall after the older woman.

Emma walked behind Mills through the corridors until they reached a door at the far end Emma had never been through. The plaque on the door told her they were entering the chapel. Regina opened the door and stepped back to allow Emma to pass. Despite every nerve screaming at the blonde that this was a bad idea, she stepped through and waited for the older woman to follow her.

The room was dark and when the door clicked shut behind them, the gloom became so intense Emma could barely make out Mills' face. Which was a shame, her brain supplied unhelpfully.

"Come," the brunette said as she set off walking down the aisle. At the front row of chairs, Regina stopped and turned right, taking a seat and patting the one next to her. Emma sat down.

Silence.

"So, Miss Swan," Regina's voice was quiet yet confident. "I wanted to speak to you about what you said to me earlier this morning."

Emma nodded slowly, not trusting herself to speak without making the situation worse.

"You've been in this place for over a week now and I think you are aware of my position here. I am not someone who appreciates vindictive comments and I am certainly not someone it is wise to pick a battle with."

"I'm sorry," Emma exclaimed. "I didn't mean what I said. It's just when I'm around you I say stupid things and I don't know why."

Regina's eyebrow raised at the rushed explanation as she regarded the petrified blonde before her.

"Be that as it may Miss Swan, I am sure you have told your little friends about our altercation, judging from their reaction back in the dining hall. I have a reputation to uphold and regardless of what I think of you, I cannot be seen to be going soft."

"What you think of me?" Emma asked, confused.

An almost imperceptible flush coloured the brunette's cheeks but the darkness of the chapel hid this from Emma's gaze. "I have been inside for 29 months Miss Swan," Regina admitted, "and there are very few women I have met in that time who interest me as much as you do."

Emma's mouth fell open slightly at the comment. "Interest you? What do you mean?"

"To be honest," Regina sighed, running a hand through her thick hair, "I'm not entirely sure but there is something about you, Emma. Something I can't put my finger on."

The blonde gasped. "That's the first time in eight days someone has said my first name," she whispered, her heart racing faster. "How did you even know it."

Regina laughed lightly. "Oh, as I told you, I know everything that goes on in here."

There was a pause as the two women looked at each other, both unsure quite how to proceed. Emma wanted to ask so many questions but decided it would be safest if she kept quiet.

"So you see my problem, Miss Swan," Regina said. "I must be seen to punish you for your insolence towards me but at the same time, I find myself not wanting to see you hurt."

"Hurt?" Emma asked, worried.

A dark laugh echoed around the empty chapel. "Don't be so coy Swan. You were there in the dining hall and I'm sure your friends told you what to expect for pissing off the queen."

"You know they call you that?" Emma asked, surprised.

"I like it," Mills admitted. "It's what my name means after all."

"Mills?" Emma questioned.

"Regina," the brunette spoke softly.

"Regina," Emma repeated, enjoying the sound of the name on her tongue.

The older woman shivered. "You're right, there is something strange about people saying your first name after you've been inside for so long."

There was another silence, neither woman quite sure how to proceed.

Eventually, Emma spoke. "So what do you want to do?"

"I need to punish you," Regina said, her voice sounding resigned to the conclusion.

Taking a deep breath, the blonde took a chance. "I asked what you wanted to do, not what you needed to do."

Regina's eyebrows raised once more. It was a facial expression she had been forming more and more since meeting the blonde. Emma surprised her, challenged her, intrigued her. But could Regina trust her? Regina didn't trust anyone, not any more.

"What do I want to do?" Regina repeated, licking her lips subconsciously. "I want to get to know you Emma. I want to understand you. I want to experience every aspect of your personality. I want you. Like I haven't wanted anyone in a long time."

The honest admission hung in the air between them. Regina was shocked at her honesty and openness with Emma whilst the blonde herself was trying to understand the exact meaning of the words. Whatever the brunette meant, Emma felt a twinge low in her abdomen at the older woman's last statement.

Regina held her breath, knowing she had exposed a vulnerability to the blonde and praying her reading of the younger woman as a fundamentally good person was correct. Emma sat stock still before her, staring through the gloom at the stunning but apprehensive face before her.

"You want me?" Emma whispered.

Regina nodded, not trusting herself to speak without saying something she would regret.

At Regina's confirmation, the coiling heat between Emma's thighs intensified. Her brow furrowed as she tried to understand the sensation. She had never been attracted to girls before. Well, not since Lily and that had been years ago, they were just kids.

Suddenly, Emma jumped to her feet and all but ran to the door.

"Emma, wait!" Regina called.

The blonde froze, her hand outstretched to pull open the door. Soft footsteps behind her told Emma the older woman was approaching. She waited, her heart pounding in her chest. Regina walked past Emma and turned around to face her. Green eyes met brown ones. Emma was shocked to see fear and confusion in the glittering chocolate orbs. Regina stared intently into the emerald eyes before her. She didn't know Emma. She couldn't trust Emma. She needed to send a message to the others.

The blonde reeled back as stars exploded in her vision. Regina fist flew out of nowhere and collided with her right temple. Staggering backwards, Emma clutched at her pounding head and blinked rapidly, trying to focus her vision. The brunette stood immobile before her, arms hanging limply by her side but a steely look had replaced the tortured one Emma had seen moments before.

"Regina," Emma gasped, touching her head tenderly and checking her fingers to see if the punch had broken the skin. Her hand had no blood on in but the throbbing in Emma's head made her feel like she was about to be sick.

"Get out," Regina hissed, glaring at the blonde and stepping aside to allow Emma to pass.

With a final, disbelieving glance at the brunette, Emma pulled the door open and rushed away down the corridor. As soon as the room was once again encased in darkness, Regina leaned against the wall beside the door and slid down it, wrapping her arms around her knees as tears threatened to fall from her eyes.

Emma didn't stop running until she got to the bathroom. It was mercifully empty as most inmates were still eating lunch. She raced into a cubicle and locked the door behind her. Sitting heavily on the closed toilet lid, Emma held her head gently in her hands as tears ran down her face. She wasn't even sure why she was crying. The pain of Regina's punch? The fact that it had been Regina who punched her in the first place? Or the confused emotions which were currently flying around her head?

Emma sat in the stall for fifteen minutes before she wiped her tear streaked cheeks, blew her nose on a tissue she had in her pocket (something she made sure she always had since arriving in FCI), and stood to open the door. The bathroom was still empty so Emma made her way to the sink and splashed some water onto her blotchy face. Raising her head, the blonde looked at the slightly fuzzy reflection of herself in the plastic mirror. She was even paler than usual, her eyes were bloodshot and a bruise was already colouring the right side of her face.

Sighing, Emma leaned heavily against the sink edge for a moment longer before taking a deep breath, standing up straight and walking back out of the bathroom.

By the time she reached her bunk, Red and Snow were inside, both sitting on the brunette's bed and obviously waiting for Emma to return.

Snow gasped and Red swore as they saw their friend's face.

"What happened?" Snow asked, jumping up and crossing over to Emma's bed where the blonde had sat down.

"Mills," Emma muttered as she reluctantly allowed Snow to inspect the bruise.

"Shit, Swanny," Red said, her eyes sympathetic.

"You need to get some ice on this or it will swell," Snow said adamantly.

"No," Emma replied, pushing Snow's hands away from her. "I'm fine,"

Frowning slightly, Snow stood and returned to sit beside Red.

"Are you ok?" Red asked, knowing it was a stupid question but not able to think of another one.

"Yeah, I'll be fine," Emma nodded before lying down on her bunk and rolling away from her friends to face the wall.

Red and Snow looked at each other before they both stood and headed towards the archway. "I'm gonna go to Snow's bunk for a bit Swan. Come and find us when you feel better," Red offered.

When Emma didn't respond, the two brunettes walked away despondently, knowing they could do nothing to help their friend.

As the sound of Red and Snow's footsteps retreated, Emma let out a sob, stifled by the fist she forced into her own mouth. She knew she couldn't show weakness in here, not if she wanted to survive the next ten and a half months. Biting down hard on her own hand, Emma forced herself to remain in control, to remain strong. She would not let Regina Mills get to her. She would not let herself get emotional over some psychotic, power hungry bitch. Even in her own mind, Emma knew the words were meaningless. Regina Mills had already got inside Emma's head and judging from the turmoil currently residing there, the brunette wasn't leaving any time soon.


	6. Stay Away

Purple. Green. Brown. Yellow. Those were the colours visible on Emma's right temple as she looked in the mirror on Monday morning. The pain of the punch had lasted a couple of hours into Saturday afternoon before the blonde forced herself out of bed and down to Snow's bunk. Her friends hadn't said any more about the obvious assault injury and the three of them spent the rest of the weekend consciously avoiding any mention of Mills or the events of Saturday.

Emma was relieved the weekend was over. She wasn't exactly fond of her laundry job but at least it kept her occupied. The hours since Saturday lunch time had dragged immeasurably. Emma was also sure she would not run into her attacker in the laundry room. In fact, Emma mused as she tried to cover the worst of the bruising with some cheap foundation from the commissary, she didn't even know what Mills' work detail was. A final look in the mirror and Emma gave up trying to hide her injury and headed to work. Before Emma had had the presence of mind to purchase some foundation, Nolan had asked her about the bruise in the dining hall on Saturday evening but Emma just said she hit her head on her cabinet trying to get something from the very back. The blonde guard didn't look like he believed Emma but knew better than to press the issue.

Even Boyd didn't ask what happened when Emma greeted her with a small smile a few minutes later. The two of them worked side by side all morning, mundane conversation flowing as they sorted linen, loaded machines, started cycles, and folded clean loads.

As Emma worked, her mind wandered to the brunette. It was doing that a lot lately and she didn't seem to be able to stop it. Miraculously, Emma hadn't seen Regina since she left the chapel on Saturday afternoon. She assumed the older woman was avoiding her and for that she was glad. She didn't know what she would have said or done had she seen her. To say Emma was hurt would have been an understatement. Not just because of the physical injury but because she felt betrayed by Regina. The two of them had talked, been honest with each other, and Emma had let her guard down. She vowed never to make that mistake again. Emma slammed a machine closed harder than necessary at the thought and Boyd glanced over at the blonde who was clearly preoccupied. Deciding not to comment, Boyd started talking about what colour theme she wanted for her wedding to Sean, hoping to distract Emma from her evident angst.

That evening, Emma walked with Red to the dining hall, the two of them chatting about their day's work and Red talking excitedly about how they were preparing the soil for vegetables they hoped to plant in early March. As the two of them took a seat, raised voices from the kitchen filled the room. Hunter walked quickly to inspect the source and the inmates all fell silent, waiting. A few moments later, the redheaded chef, Athena returned to the counter looking flustered. Seconds later, Hunter reappeared, Regina walking behind him with a smug look on her face. Hunter nodded to the brunette and resumed his post as Regina continued to stroll out of the dining hall. Emma ducked her head, avoiding eye contact as the brunette passed her. Red watched Mills leave, worrying her bottom lip between her teeth.

"I'll be right back," she muttered to Emma before jumping up and following Mills quickly from the dining hall.

Confused, Emma watched her go. Surely Red wasn't about to confront Regina about what she had done to Emma.

"Hey, how was work?" asked Snow, sitting down beside her preoccupied friend.

"Dull, but Boyd's wedding plans sound hilarious," Emma said, turning to the pixie brunette. "You know she wants a princess theme wedding?"

Snow laughed. "Yep, she told me all about that."

"How was the education programme today?" Emma asked. Snow ran several workshops for inmates who wanted to better themselves by improving their literacy and numeracy skills. Emma admired the brunette's dedication to educating her fellow inmates as well as her ability to convince the warden to allow her to run them at all. According to Snow, it was her first class Masters degree in education that finally forced him to agree it was a good idea.

"Fun," Snow grinned. "I'm seeing a lot of improvement and it's so satisfying. If these women continue to put in the hard work they're going to have a great chance at getting a proper job when they leave here."

"Snow going on about how she's saving the world by educating us stupid and worthless criminals again?" Red asked as she sat back down.

"Hey," Snow whined. "You know I do good work in those programmes and you also know how important it is to think positively about yourself. I've told you before not to use such derogatory language."

"Oh shut up, Snow," Red snapped, stabbing angrily at her wilted vegetables. "You know most of the people go just to your workshops to get out of actual work and they don't give a shit about bettering themselves. We're all scum as far as society is concerned so what's the point in trying to prove them wrong?"

Emma and Snow sat in stunned silence at their friend's outburst. Snow opened her mouth to respond but Emma laid a hand on her arm to stop her. Subtly shaking her head, the two women joined their friend in finishing their meals in silence. As soon as Red was done, she stood and dumped her tray before walking quickly from the dining hall.

"What was that about?" Snow asked.

"I don't know but she went to speak to Mills just now. Maybe she said something."

"Mills?" Snow asked, eyebrows raised. "What do you think she spoke to her about?"

"You tell me," Emma shrugged. "I've only been here ten days. Do the two of them have history?"

"Not that I know of."

"Reg- I mean Mills was coming out of the kitchens again. Any idea why she's been back there twice recently?"

"None," Snow frowned. "Maybe I should talk to Red."

"Give her some time to cool off if I were you," Emma advised as she finished her meal. "Wanna go to the TV room for a bit? Castle airs tonight and I missed last week's episode."

Crime shows always drew a large crowd to the TV room, Emma noted. Perhaps the inmates were trying to pick up tips on what not to do if they wanted to avoid getting caught next time. Emma and Snow sat with Boyd and Rose, a friendly argument developing as to whether Stana Katic or Nathan Fillion was the true star of the show. Emma thought Stana won hands down with her superior acting and the endless hair porn but Snow had a soft spot for Nathan's baby blue eyes.

As the credits rolled, Emma felt a hand brush lightly against her shoulder behind her. Whipping her head around, she watched Regina walk away from her, her hip sway exaggerated. At the doorway, the brunette turned around, making eye contact with Emma and jerking her head slightly, clearly indicating that the younger woman should follow. Emma turned back around in her seat to face the television.

"What's up next girls?" she asked in a voice loud enough to reach the open door, her heart in her throat.

When she turned around to look a few moments later, Regina had gone.

Emma saw Regina twice more during the week. Once at lunchtime and once in the bathroom. Regina was towel-drying her hair in front of the mirrors, clad only in a black bra and panties. As soon as Emma emerged from her toilet cubicle and saw the almost naked brunette, she bolted from the room without even washing her hands. Regina had watched the red-faced blonde race past, her heart beating a little faster.

On Saturday morning Emma watched sadly as Red bounced excitedly out of their bunk alongside Snow. The long haired woman had apologised to the pixie brunette for their argument and the two headed off arm in arm to enjoy their visitations. Red's grandmother was coming to see her and Snow's father was making his monthly trip to visit his only daughter.

Emma lay in bed for a while, re-reading one of Red's magazines. Deciding she was bored with the trashy, poorly written prose, she decided to make her first trip to the prison library. Red had mentioned it once and it was where Snow held her education programmes. Emma loved to read, enjoying the power of the written word to suck her into an imaginary world and allow her to follow the intrepid journeys of interesting, diverse characters.

Walking through the quiet corridors, Emma quickly reached the library and pushed the door open. It was quiet inside too. But then again, it was a library and Emma supposed it wouldn't be noisy even if most inmates weren't at visitation.

"Hey," came a soft voice from beside her.

Jumping, Emma spun around. Sat behind a desk by the door was a friendly looking brunette. She grinned at the blonde as she placed her bookmark in her novel and rested the book on the table.

"Oh, hi," Emma greeted. "Didn't realised anyone would be in here."

Standing up, the girl held out her hand. "I'm French, I work in the library during the week and I like hanging out here at the weekend."

"Swan," she introduced, shaking the proffered hand. "Are you Australian?"

The brunette's smile widened. "Good ear, have you been?"

"No, but I loved Neighbours when I was a kid."

French laughed. "Don't judge us all by what you see in that show."

Emma grinned, liking the easygoing attitude of the inmate immediately. "I won't."

"Is there anything I can help you with?"

"I'm just looking for a good book really," Emma shrugged. "Any suggestions."

"Of course, follow me."

The two prisoners weaved through the shelves until they reached the far corner. As they walked, Emma looked around at the books. They seemed to be arranged and cared for very well but most of the shelves were half empty and Emma got the impression relatively few were ever read.

"Here we go," Belle said as she gestured to a rather large collection of books. "I've put all of my personal favourites here."

"Thanks," Emma grinned, bending over to pull out a book. "Enduring Love," she read. "Sounds rather sappy!"

"Oh not at all. It's intense and dark and completely gripping," she gushed enthusiastically.

Emma read the blurb before setting the book aside and pulling out several more. The Great Gatsby, Oliver Twist, The Angel's Game, Music and Silence, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, Of Mice and Men, and The Green Mile.

"You've got quite eclectic taste," Emma commented as she flicked through the books.

French nodded. "I just love books. It doesn't matter what genre."

"Me too," Emma agreed. "How many books can each inmate check out at once?"

"Two."

"Ok," Emma said slowly, considering the books in her hands. "Then I'll take these."

French took the books and walked back to her desk. "Inmate number?"

"108412," Emma reeled off.

Taking note, the brunette handed over the books. "There you go, enjoy."

"Thanks," Emma grinned as she headed towards the door. Just before she reached it, she turned back. "Hey, you want to join me and my friends for lunch today?"

French smiled at her. "Sure."

"Great, we'll see you in the dining hall at about midday then."

"See you then. Thanks Swan."

Emma nodded and headed out of the library, her two books tucked under her arm. Eager to get back to her bunk and tuck in to the new literature, Emma walked quickly down the corridor towards the sleeping area. As she entered the corridor where her bunk space was, the blonde made sure to keep looking forward, determinedly not looking into the room where she knew Regina now slept.

"Shit," she gasped as she rounded the archway into her own bunk.

"Hello, Miss Swan," came that sinfully sexy voice. "Are you avoiding me?"

Regina sat on Emma's bed, her legs crossed and her hands resting gracefully in her lap.

"What are you doing here?" Emma hissed, stepping inside in case any inmates were around to overhear.

"I wanted to talk to you," Regina explained simply.

"I think you said everything last week," Emma sneered, gesturing to her face. The bruise had faded significantly but there was still a faint colouring to the abused area.

Regina had the good grace to look guilty. "I'm sorry about that. I had no choice."

Emma laughed, placing her books on her cabinet and walking to stand in front of Regina, arms folded. "You had no choice? You just had to punch me in the face? Yeah I'm not buying that Mills but to be honest I don't want your excuses, or your apology. I just want you to leave me alone."

"You don't mean that," Regina said, licking her lips slowly. The blonde standing up for herself made the older woman's heart beat faster.

"I do," Emma stated firmly, trying to ignore the tension in her abdomen as Regina's tongue wetted her plump lips. "I just want to keep my head down and serve my time. I have no interest in getting involved in a prison war."

"That's not what I was trying to achieve in the chapel, Miss Swan," Regina said, standing up to place herself on the same level as Emma. Well almost. The blonde was a couple of inches taller than the older woman and for the umpteenth time, Regina wishes she was allowed her killer heels in prison.

"What were you trying to achieve then Regina?" Emma asked with a sigh, running a hand distractedly through her long blonde hair.

"I told you. I needed people to know you had been punished for your insolence towards me. You're lucky Faery, Trident, and Feinberg are in SHU because had they not been, I would have had no choice but to make them do it for me."

"My insolence towards you?" Emma laughed. "Do you hear yourself? We're all convicts in here. We've all done something wrong. None of us are special. None of us are better than anyone else in this dump. You're our queen," Emma used air quotes around the word, "because people are scared of you, not because they respect you. Do you like the fear in their eyes as they walk past you? Do you like knowing every girl in here avoids you? You have no friends Regina, only your thugs who are also afraid of you. Aren't you lonely? Don't you want to be liked?"

"There's more to it than that Emma," Regina said, her eyes imploring the blonde to believe her. "I provide for my friends and lots of people in here couldn't actually live without me."

"What the hell does that mean?" Emma asked.

"I … I can't tell you," the brunette shrugged. "The less you know the better."

"What, so you're trying to protect me now?" Emma scoffed.

"Believe it or not, yes," Regina nodded. "That's why I punched you. I didn't want to drag you into my business and there was no other way to distance myself from you."

"You punched me to distance yourself? Well it worked, I don't want to be anywhere near you."

Regina took a deep breath before stepping forward. She was now mere inches away from the blonde. "Really Emma? You really don't want to be near me?" Regina waited for Emma to shake her head before continuing. "So why is your heart racing right now as I stand before you? Why are your cheeks slightly flushed? Why are your beautiful green eyes darkening as I move closer to you?" The brunette stepped even closer at her words. "I think you do want me near you. I think you want it very much and that scares you. You don't want to be scared, to be vulnerable in here so you're pushing me away. It won't work Emma. You won't be able to stay away."

Emma held her breath as she gazed down into the flawless face before her. No, not flawless. A small scar marred the brunette's upper lip, an old injury leaving a darkened fissure in the plump flesh. Emma wondered what it would feel like to run her tongue across the scar. At the thought, her cheeks coloured even further. Regina noticed, smirked and turned to walk out of the bunk.

Emma watched her go with her mouth open and her heart racing. As soon as the brunette was out of sight, she collapsed face down on her bed. As she groaned loudly into her pillow, the scent of the older woman filled her nostrils. Regina Mills smelled like apples.


	7. Fresh Air

Look at you, you little book worm," Red remarked as she plopped down on her bunk.

Emma had been so immersed in Music and Silence she hadn't even heard her friend return. She marvelled at Rose Tremain's ability to capture her attention so completely every time she read her novels.

"Oh hey," Emma grinned from her bed as she marked her place and sat up to speak to Red. "How was your Granny?"

"Fine," Red smiled. "She was grumbling about her restaurant but that's nothing new. Apparently she can't get a decent waitress to replace me and she's fed up of the lazy teenagers who stay for a month before buggering off again. Not that I was much better."

"So she wants you to go back and work for her when you get out?"

Red laughed. "Hardly, I'm unreliable too apparently. Something about being a drug addict or some shit."

Emma smiled sadly. Her friend was clearly hurt at being rejected by her only remaining family member. The blonde sure knew what that felt like!

"I invited French to join us for lunch," Emma said, changing the subject in an attempt to distract the brunette.

"Who?" Red questioned.

"The girl who works in the library. French."

Red shrugged. "OK, I'm always up for meeting new people."

Emma grinned. "I said we'd meet at midday."

"Cool," Red said absentmindedly. Her mind was still clearly on her visitation.

Emma laid back down and reopened her book, eager to finish the chapter before they headed to the dining hall.

"Hey French," Emma called, waving the girl over to them. The brunette grinned and walked over to join herself, Red and Snow in line for lunch.

"Hi," she smiled shyly. "I'm French."

"Luccas, or Red," the lanky girl greeted.

"Blanchard, but everyone calls me Snow," the other woman smiled.

"Nice to meet you," French grinned, glad the blonde's friends seemed to welcoming.

The four of them got their lunch and sat down at an empty table. Boyd joined them soon afterwards. There was talk of visitation, families, friends, and the difficulties of maintaining relationships with people whilst incarcerated. Not that Emma had to worry about any of the associated problems. There was no one on the outside who cared about her in any way. Boyd was adamant, as always, that she and Sean would survive the remaining thirteen months of her sentence and emerge stronger than ever. French, Snow, and Red had family members who visited as often as they could but no significant other to worry about. Whilst Red insisted she didn't want a girlfriend, Snow and French seemed to speak longingly of having someone to love them in such a complete, intense way.

Emma was pleased with her decision to invite French to join her friends. The girl had been inside two months and had another six left to serve. So far however, she had kept herself to herself and relied on her literary friends rather than making connections to other inmates. Her experience with Emma and the other women however was convincing her perhaps it was worth making the effort.

After lunch, Emma returned to her bunk, eager to get back to her book. As she walked down her corridor, a heated conversation caught her attention. Glancing sideways, Emma glimpsed Trident and Mills in the latter's bunk, clearly arguing about something. Hurrying past, Emma slipped quietly into her own room and sat down. What was that about? she wondered. Trident must have just returned from SHU as Emma hadn't seen the woman around since they had attacked West. She supposed that meant Faery and Feinberg were out too. Did they know what she had said to Regina? Would the brunette have told them? Or would one of the other inmates say something about the bruise that had been adorning Emma's face for the past week?

Deciding worrying wouldn't help anything, Emma laid down and opened her book, willing Tremain's talent to work its magic and distract her from the real world.

It was dark outside when Emma finally looked up from her book. The afternoon had disappeared into the detailed plot involving love, children, money, affairs, and musical talent. Red had swung by earlier in the day to invite Emma to join her in the yard for a yoga session a new inmate was running but the blonde had declined. Now, she stood, stretched, and headed to find her friends. And dinner, her stomach reminded her with a loud grumble.

FCI offered inmates the opportunity to watch a movie on Saturday evenings. Emma wondered whether it was wise to be screening The Shawshank Redemption to incarcerated women but figured none of them had the time nor patience to dig their way out through the walls with a hammer. It seemed like far too much effort for Emma at least. Plus the commissary didn't sell posters.

Unsurprisingly, the movie room was packed and Red, Snow, Boyd and Emma were lucky to nab the last few chairs at the back. As Emma scanned the room she spotted a familiar brunette head near the front, silhouetted against the bright screen beyond. Either side of her sat two taller women, blondes, and Trident sat behind Regina. The queen has her bodyguards back, Emma mused as she settled into her seat and tried to focus on the film.

Emma had seen the iconic movie several times and it didn't take long before her mind started to wander. She had heard Trident leaving Mills' bunk soon after Emma started reading earlier that afternoon and she hadn't returned. The blonde wasn't exactly worried. She didn't think Regina would say anything to her cronies about what had happened between them. It wasn't that Emma trusted the brunette, but she did believe her when she said had she didn't want to hurt Emma. Ok, that statement had been followed by the punch, Emma mused, but she wasn't expecting any further attacks. Telling Trident, or Faery and Feinberg for that matter, would do nothing but force Regina to create some kind of vendetta against Emma, as she had her half sister. Regardless of what had happened so far, Emma was confident the brunette did not want that.

As the credits rolled, Emma and her friends stood up to leave. Inmates pushed towards the door until a bark sounded loudly from the depths of the crowd.

"Out of our way," cried Faery, her long legs ensuring her head towered above most of the other women. The inmates parted at the command and Regina swept out of the room unimpeded, the three women following quickly behind.

"Great," grumbled a voice from behind Emma.

Whipping her head around at the familiar accent, Emma saw West in the crowd. She hadn't seen the redhead much except at meals and she had deliberately avoided her. Now however, she offered the woman a small smile before turning to follow her friends back to their bunks.

Emma sat bolt upright in bed, clapping her hand over her mouth. Pushing back the covers, she sprinted to the bathroom, only just making it in time as she emptied the content of her stomach into the toilet bowl. Groaning quietly, she wiped her mouth with the back of her hand and slumped against the door. After a few minutes, her stomach stopped rolling and she flushed the toilet. Standing up, she exited the cubicle and went to rinse her mouth out. Leaning heavily on the edge of the sink, Emma sighed and wiped her face. What a way to wake up on a Sunday morning, she thought.

Walking slowly back to her bunk, Emma passed a few early morning risers. She kept her head down and avoided making conversation, not trusting herself not to throw up again if she opened her mouth.

"What happened to you?" Red asked from beneath her own covers as Emma walked back into their room.

"Sick," she muttered as she collapsed back on her bed and slipped under the blanket.

"Probably something you ate," Red mused. "I don't trust Athena's cooking. Everyone knows she got the job because Mills sweet talked the warden."

"Why did she do that?" Emma asked.

"Dunno," Red shrugged, which is difficult to do when lying down, she noted. "I think they knew each other on the outside or something. Either way, she's seriously unqualified in my opinion. Except when it comes to fish, that she cooks damn well!"

"Can you cook?" Emma asked, keen to distract herself from her queasy stomach.

"Granny taught me the basics. I wouldn't poison anyone if that's what you mean."

Emma laughed, rubbing her hand over her stomach as she did so in an attempt to soothe it.

"You want some hot water?" Red offered. "I always found that helped me if I felt ill."

"Yeah, that'd be great, thanks."

"No problem," the brunette grinned as she jumped out of bed. "Athena starts kitchen prep at some ridiculous hour. She needs all the time she can get to make our food and even then it's shit."

Brunette hair whipped around the corner and Emma curled up into a ball, trying to find a position which would satisfy her stomach. She must have dozed off as the next thing she knew, Red was crouched beside her with a disposable cup of steaming water.

"Hey," she murmured. "You ok?"

Emma nodded and pushed herself into an upright position to sip at the water. The warm liquid did seem to sooth her stomach and she smiled gratefully at her friend. "Thanks Red."

"Of course. Want me to steal you a couple of slices of toast for breakfast or are you up for joining me?"

Emma took another mouthful of water, her stomach unclenching and feeling more normal. "No, I'll come with you, just give me ten minutes to jump in the shower."

Emma almost liked Sunday mornings inside. Well, when she didn't spend it with her head in the toilet at least. There was a lazy, relaxed atmosphere to FCI and the dining hall was always quieter, slower. She and Red were amongst the first to get breakfast, with Emma opting to stick to just toast and butter for fear of aggravating her stomach further. Snow joined them and instantly frowned at Emma.

"What's wrong, Swan?" She had never known the blonde to eat such a measly meal nor look so pasty.

"Nothing," Emma shrugged, "I was sick this morning but I'm better now."

Snow looked intently at her, concern and worry etched on her face.

"I'm fine," Emma assured her, taking and extra large bite of her toast to prove her point.

The three women headed out to the yard after breakfast. Emma greatly missed the outdoors and spent as much time as possible in the grassy area behind the prison buildings. She had been pleasantly surprised when she arrived at how much access the inmates had to fresh air and took full advantage of the wide open space. Today she figured it would do her stomach some good too. Red's beloved vegetable patch lay at the far end, fenced off to keep hungry animals, or inmates, away. Near the buildings, clusters of inmates gathered to chat, play games or just relax outside. The three friends set off walking around the perimeter, talking and laughing as they did so. A few other inmates had had the same idea. March was just a few days away and the weather was warming up, a weak sun filtering through fluffy clouds to bathe the grass in light.

As they approached the far corner, Emma noticed the group of women who had previously been walking ahead of them had stopped. Drawing closer, Emma's heart suddenly started pounding. Regina stood with Faery and Feinberg. Trident was nowhere to be seen. The two blondes were listening intently to their leader, nodding regularly and saying nothing.

Without a word to each other Emma, Red and Snow cut the corner on their circuit, giving the posse a wide berth before they recommenced their conversation. The three of them were trying to decide which guard was better looking. Snow insisted Nolan was drop dead gorgeous whereas Emma had a soft spot for Hunter with his rugged beard and the Irish accent. Red meanwhile insisted that if she was a free woman, she'd be wining and dining Fa, the female Asian guard who was currently patrolling the outside area.

Unbeknownst to Emma, Regina followed the blonde's movements out of the corner of her eye until she disappeared with her friends back into the prison block.

"So, you know what I need?" Regina asked Faery and Feinberg. Both women nodded their understanding. "Good, then go."

At Regina's dismissal, the two blondes turned and headed back inside. Regina stayed where she was, watching them leave. Sighing, she leant against the chain linked fence and ran a hand through her long hair.

"Mills," Fa called over to her. "Away from the fence inmate."

Grumbling, Regina pushed herself upright again and walked a little way into the middle of the field. She hesitated for a moment before kneeling down and unlacing her hideous prison-issue boots. Slipping them off along with her socks, Regina sighed as she felt the soft grass beneath her feet. She had grown up in the countryside and missed true contact with nature. The sensation of the grass helped ground her, calm her. Sitting down, she stretched her legs out in front of her and brushed her fingertips over the short blades. A smile played across her lips and she glanced around before lying down completely. The yard was almost empty and she knew no one dared challenge her now Faery, Trident and Feinberg were out of SHU. She closed her eyes.

Through her eyelids, Regina saw a shadow fall across her face. Opening her eyes, she blinked as her pupils readjusted to the sunlight. As the silhouette above her developed features, Regina quickly realised it was a certain young blonde who stood over her.

Pushing herself up so she was leaning on her elbows, Regina cocked her head. "Miss Swan," she greeted. "I thought you wanted me to leave you alone and yet here you are seeking me out." The teasing tone did not go unnoticed by Emma.

"What did you say to your thugs?" Emma asked, arms folded.

"If you mean my friends Faery, Feinberg, and Trident," Regina sighed, sitting up before standing up straight, "nothing."

"Nothing?" Emma asked, suspiciously.

"Nothing," Regina repeated. "I didn't think there was any need, to be honest. Why?"

"Because I don't want to spend every second of my time in here looking over my shoulder waiting to be shanked."

Regina laughed lightly. Emma's insides clenched. "That's not their style, Miss Swan. And you have nothing to worry about, I assure you. Unless you piss them off on your own, you're safe from my thugs." She used air quotes around the last word.

"Right," Emma nodded. "Ok, well, thanks I guess."

"Of course, Emma," Regina said, her mouth making the name sound sexier than the blonde thought possible.

Nodding a final time, Emma turned to walk back inside.

"Miss Swan," Regina called after her. Emma turned and looked at the brunette, waiting. "Would you like to join me?"

"Join you?" Emma questioned.

"Yes," Regina nodded. "I'm just sitting here, enjoying this beautiful spring day and I would like some company." She sat gracefully back down and gestured to the patch of grass next to her.

Hesitating, Emma regarded the older woman. Regina's hair tumbled over her shoulders, the dark curls fell haphazardly, making her look younger. Usually Regina tied her hair up or braided it but Emma liked this natural style more. Regina was looking at her with an almost vulnerable expression. Emma got the impression it had taken a lot for the brunette to ask for the blonde to join her. Part of being the queen was not needing anyone else. It was then that Emma noticed the brunette's bare feet. She grinned at the childish notion and after a moment more, she walked over. Sitting beside the brunette, Emma also unlaced her boots, toed them off and stuffed her socks into the shoes.

Green eyes met brown and a tentative grin formed on Emma's lips. Regina's smile was positively radiant.


	8. Mob Boss

"So, what are you in for?" Regina asked Emma when the blonde had settled beside her.

"I thought that was one question you don't ask a fellow inmate," Emma frowned, wiggling her bare toes against the grass.

Regina laughed once more. It was quickly becoming one of the blonde's favourite sounds. "I'm the queen in here, dear," she reminded Emma. "I can ask any question I want."

Nodding slowly, Emma turned away from Regina and watched a group of women playing basketball in the distance.

"Possession of stolen property," Emma declared. "My boyfriend set me up."

"Boyfriend?" Regina asked.

"Ex," Emma clarified, her eyes still on the basketball game. "He was supposed to meet me after he sold the rest of the watches but he never showed. Instead, a cop appeared and collared me for wearing the one watch Neal had given me as a present earlier that day."

"He sounds like a bastard," Regina remarked.

"Agreed," Emma nodded. "A bastard who's now stinking rich and has my car."

"Men are dicks."

"Can't disagree with you there."

"Women are so much better. Plus the sex is infinitely more satisfying."

At that, Emma's head whipped around to stare at the woman beside her. A smirk spread over Regina's face as she watched the blonde's reaction. Deciding she liked Emma's discomfort, Regina chose to stay silent and wait for the younger woman to speak.

"You … you're gay?" Emma asked.

"Yes," Regina said simply.

"And I thought it was just a stereotype that prisons are full of lesbians."

Regina laughed once more. Emma's heart beat faster. "Well it is, but by definition, there is an element of truth behind every stereotype, is there not?"

Emma nodded slowly. "I suppose. I just never thought that about you."

"What do you think about me?" Regina asked, her silky tones making Emma's brain work at a slower pace than usual.

"Many things," Emma said, her voice hoarse.

"Such as?" Regina asked as the blush spread further over the blonde's face.

Emma paused before deciding to be honest. "You interest me. I think there's more to you than you allow people to believe. I think you're an intelligent, capable, driven young woman and being locked up in here is driving you crazy. You hate not being in control of your life so you take power wherever you can. But this whole queen of the prison act, it's just that. An act. You pretend to be someone you're not as a defence mechanism, a coping mechanism. I'm not interested in Queen Mills though. I'm interested in Regina."

The brunette stared at the bold, young woman before her. She had been in prison for almost two and a half years and in that time, no one had ever been as blunt nor honest with her as Emma Swan had just been. More than that, no one had ever been so on point when it came to reading her. The insight this girl had into her true personality almost scared her.

"Prison changes people," Regina said after a long pause. "You adapt, learn how to survive. You do what you have to in order to make your time bearable."

"So you decided to scare the shit out of every inmate in your block using the muscle of three women who follow you blindly for no apparent reason?"

"They have their reasons," Regina said.

Emma snorted at the cryptic reply. "So you keep saying. What are these reasons, pray tell."

"I can't," Regina said, looking imploringly into the blonde's green eyes.

"Can't or won't?" Emma asked, staring back challengingly.

"Knowing would put you in danger. I don't want that, I've never wanted that. That's why I had to hit you last week."

Scoffing, Emma threw her hands up in the air in exasperation. "Do you hear yourself Regina?" she exclaimed. "You punched me to protect me? You're making yourself out to be some all powerful mafia mob boss or something. Well you're not. You're no better and no different to the rest of us here. We're all society's screw ups and we've been dumped in prison to pay for our crimes. Hell, I don't even know what you're in for. Oh right, I forgot. I can't ask that because I'm not the queen." The air quotes were back.

"Drug distribution and trafficking," Regina stated. "Three years."

"Drugs?" Emma asked, wide eyed. "Now that I did not see coming. You don't strike me as a druggie. That's a compliment, by the way, in case you think I might need punching for my own protection again."

Regina couldn't stop the laugh that escaped her at the blonde's words. "I wasn't a user. I was a dealer," she explained. "I never touched the supplies. I've never done anything harder than a joint in my life."

"So you got people like Red hooked onto drugs and made a packet off their dependency and depression?"

"I'm not proud of it," Regina sighed. "But I suppose that is what happened, yes. You don't know me Emma. I'm a selfish, greedy human being and I was only in it for the money. And I made a lot I can tell you. As long as I was getting rich, I didn't care who I was hurting."

"Was it worth it?" Emma asked. "The few years of living the high life in exchange for three years of your freedom?"

"No," Regina admitted. "I miss my friends. I miss my lifestyle before drug dealing. I miss simple things like walking to the shops to buy milk. I miss cooking."

"You cook?"

Regina nodded, momentarily lost in past memories. "Yes, I'm half Sicilian and half Puerto-Rican so it's in my blood. I love good food in general but cooking helps me relax, de-stress, and generally get back in touch with what's important in my life."

"What activity allows you do to that in here?" Emma asked.

"Nothing."

They sat in silence for a while, both women lost in thought. Emma picked absentmindedly at the blades of grass around her whilst Regina followed the flight of a small bird before it reached the fence and darted over the top. To freedom.

"Emma," Regina said at last. She waited for the blonde to look at her before continuing. "You won't tell anyone what I've told you will you?"

"No," Emma answered quietly.

"Thank you," Regina said before she lightly rested her left hand on top of Emma's right.

Emma jumped at the touch before noting how much her body relished the human contact. It was so rare in prison and she hadn't realised how much she missed it. The warmth of Regina's skin seeped into her own. Slowly, the older woman's slender fingers curled, the tips slipping around to grip Emma's hand more firmly. The blonde held her breath.

"I have to go," she said, jumping to her feet and walking quickly back to the block.

Regina watched her go with a sigh. Her heart was still racing at the sensation of the blonde's smooth skin beneath her fingers. She couldn't remember the last time she had felt so affected by another human being.

"Shit," she muttered as she collapsed backwards and lay on the ground again, her hands covering her face.

"Where are your shoes?" Red asked the second the blonde padded barefoot into their bunk.

"Erm, I forgot them."

Red frowned. "How do you forget shoes?"

"Dunno," Emma shrugged. "I think I'm coming down with something though. I still feel a little queasy from this morning."

"Go to the infirmary then."

"Nah," Emma shook her head. "I don't trust doctors. Avoid them at all cost. If I'm sick again I might go see Booth but for now I'll self medicate."

"Self medicate with what?"

"Water and Rose Tremain," Emma announced, holding up a glass before picking up her book and flopping back down on her bed.

"Geek," Red muttered as she headed out to meet Boyd for a manicure session.

Emma never saw Regina return her boots but when she looked up from her book two hours later, they sat just inside the doorway, her socks rolled up and tucked neatly in the top of one. She smiled at the gesture before remembering their conversation. The woman became more of an enigma every time they spoke. Emma was intrigued by the brunette for sure but there was also an element of danger emanating from Regina Mills. Maybe that was part of the attraction. Wait. What attraction?

Luckily Red reappeared in her room to distract her from her thoughts.

"Come back to join us in the real world have you Swanny?"

"Hey, don't knock literary world. Right now, it's better than my life."

Red laughed. "Lunch?"

"Yeah, I'm feeling much better now so I could definitely eat some mediocre prison grub."

The two friends walked down to the dining hall where they met French and Boyd. The four women chatted together all afternoon and before Emma knew it, she was climbing into her bed and saying goodnight to Red. The last thing she did every night before she closed her eyes was look at the calendar at the end of her bed. It was the 1st of March and she had just flipped over the monthly page. She had arrived in prison on Friday 13th (the day really was unlucky) and February had passed by slower than Emma could ever remember. There was something satisfying about looking at the new monthly picture however, even if it was of a tacky landscape. Seriously, who ordered a calendar full of pictures of wide open spaces for the prison commissary. It was just cruel.

Emma rolled over and closed her eyes, allowing sleep to wash over her body.

Having her work detail gave the week structure and Emma found time passed minutely faster from Monday to Friday. Three mornings that week had seen Emma waking and rushing to the bathroom to be sick however, and the blonde was beginning to be concerned. She felt fine in herself, maybe a little more tired than usual but she put that down to not sleeping well. She was still unaccustomed to the noises that echoed through the corridors at night and woke frequently.

Her work finished early on Friday so she decided to go and speak to Booth. She'd seen him in the corridors a few times since her first meeting but hadn't spoken properly to him.

Knocking on his door, Booth smiled widely at Emma when she walked inside.

"Good afternoon Swan. How are you doing?"

"I'm ok thanks," Emma said as she took a seat opposite her counsellor. She said nothing more, fiddling with a loose thread on the arm of her chair.

"How can I help you?" Booth placed his pen on the desk, sensing that the blonde needed to talk about something.

"I, well, I've been sick a few times this week."

"Ok," Booth said slowly. "You know you can go straight to the infirmary without making an appointment through me, right?"

Emma nodded, twirling the thread around her pinkie as she did so.

"What do you think might be causing your sickness?"

Emma shrugged, not wanting to voice her suspicions in case she was wrong and felt stupid.

"Would you like me to come and see the doctor with you?" Booth offered.

"Yes please," Emma said, in a voice far smaller than usual.

"We can go right now if you like?" Emma nodded. "Is there anything else before we head over there?"

"Am I crazy to trust some of the other women in here? I mean, should I think our friendships will last beyond these walls? And is anyone genuine in what they say? Should I believe anything anyone tells me?" Emma rushed out her questions in one breath, her anxiety and paranoia evident in her speech.

"Is there a specific inmate you had in mind for these questions?"

"Lucas, Blanchard, Boyd, French and I hang out a lot. Are we friends?"

"Do you feel like you're friends with them?" Booth asked.

Emma considered the question. "Yes."

"Then there's your answer." Booth smiled. "You're not so different from them Swan so if you care for the women and consider them your friends, chances are they feel the same way."

"What about an inmate like Mills?" Emma asked, tentatively.

"You're friendly with Mills?" Booth asked with raised eyebrows.

"I wouldn't exactly say friendly, but we've talked."

Booth considered Emma before replying. "Mills is an interesting character for sure. I'm not her counsellor and even if I was, I wouldn't be at liberty to speak about her time inside. But I'd proceed with caution if I were you." There was a knowing kindness behind the words.

Emma nodded and stood up. "Shall we get this doctor's visit over and done with?"

The two of them walked together down to the infirmary which was next to the library. Swan saw French through the door and waved to her. The brunette frowned as she watched her friend and the counsellor knock and then enter the medical area.

Emma had to wait for a bit before the doctor was free to see her. She sat beside Booth, tapping her foot and looking around distractedly.

"Why do you hate doctors so much?" he asked.

"One of my foster dads was a doctor. He was a bad guy," Emma shrugged.

Booth didn't press further but he could read between the lines. Many of the inmates he spoke to had suffered abuse in their childhood and this often lead to the crimes they committed. Booth got the impression the blonde sat timidly beside him had also been a victim.

"Swan?" called a voice from behind Emma.

The blonde jumped and turned to look. The doctor smiled at Emma, her blonde hair pulled up into a tight pony tail. She gestured for Emma to follow her into the examination room.

"Want me to come inside with you?" Booth asked.

"Do you have access to my medical records anyway?" Emma asked. Booth nodded. "Then sure, come on in."

"So Miss Swan," the doctor said as Emma sat beside her desk. "My name is Dr Fisher. What seems to be the problem?"

"I've been sick a few times this week," Emma shrugged. "I feel fine most of the time but a few mornings have been bad."

"Ok," the doctor nodded slowly. "Any other symptoms?"

"No." Emma shook her head. "I mean I'm a little tired but prison doesn't exactly allow for a solid eight hours every night."

"I'm going to take a few details and then I'll do some simple check ups."

Emma's medical history didn't take long. As an abandoned orphan she was unable to provide any familial medical knowledge and she had been a healthy child overall. Dr Fisher took her blood pressure, weight, temperature and pulse.

"I'd like to draw some blood for some tests if that's ok?"

"Sure," Emma shrugged. Needles had never bothered her so she stuck out her arm and waited for the doctor to do what she needed.

"The results of this will be in by next Friday so shall I schedule an appointment for a similar time?" Emma nodded. "How does 3pm sound?"

"Fine," Emma said. "Thanks."

"Of course," the doctor smiled at her. "And for now, I'll prescribe you some anti-nausea pills that you can take if you need to."

Emma returned to her bunk with her tablets. Red was nowhere to be seen and for that she was glad. She didn't like people worrying over her and she had tried to hide her sickness from her bunkmate. Emma's time in foster homes had given her ample practice at sneaking around undetected and keeping secrets.

Slipping her tablets between her spare inmate uniforms in her cabinet, Emma curled back up on her bed and reached for her book. She had just a few pages left and she was eager to finish it before dinner that night.

Minutes later, Red stomped into the bunk, kicked her cabinet in frustration and sat down heavily on her bed.

Closing her book, Emma looked cautiously at her bunkmate who was clearly fuming.

"What's up Red?"

"Nothing," the brunette grumbled, hands fisted in her own hair.

"Doesn't look like nothing," Emma commented.

"Just leave it Swan, ok?"

"Can I do anything to help?"

"Not unless you can convince Mills not to be a complete bitch."

"Mills?" Emma frowned, her curiosity piqued even more. "What's she got to do with this?"

"Nothing, forget I said anything. I'm going outside to the yard. Do a few laps."

"You run?"

"Gotta put these long legs to good use." Red grabbed her sneakers and left.

"What was that about?" Emma muttered. "Great, now I'm going mad and talking to myself."

The blonde shook her head, reopened her book and began to read.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> P.S. Rose Tremain is one of my favourite authors of all time. Check out some of her work if you get a chance!


	9. First Kiss

Emma finished her book with a satisfied sigh. Red still wasn't back and the blonde sat wondering what could have happened between her bunkmate and Regina. The only time Emma had seen any interaction between the two women was a couple of weeks prior when Red had followed Regina from the dining hall after the latter left the kitchen. Emma never asked her bunkmate what they had spoken about as she had dismissed it at the time as unimportant. Now however, her mind was racing as she thought through everything she had learnt, trying to find a connection between the women.

Whilst she had joked with Regina about prison being full of lesbians, the only two inmates Emma knew for sure were gay happened to be her bunkmate and the queen. Was something going on between them? Maybe that was why Red had followed Regina from the kitchen that day. Maybe that was why Red had told Emma to stay away from the other woman. And why Regina had told Emma to stay away herself - she was taken. Something flared inside the blonde at the thought of the two women together. Jealousy? She scoffed to herself. She wasn't gay so why would she be jealous if Red was sleeping with Regina.

"Hey," said a soft voice, pulling Emma from her confused thoughts.

"Oh, hi Snow," the blonde greeted as she looked up to see the woman leaning against the doorway. "Come in."

The petite brunette perched on Emma's bed and looked around the small room.

"Where's Red?"

"She went out for a jog in a really shitty mood. Something about Mills." Emma waited, watching for Snow's reaction. Snow and Red had known each other for a while so perhaps the pixie haired woman would be able to offer Emma some insight

"Mills?" Snow frowned.

"Yeah," Emma nodded. "Do those two have history?"

"Not that I know of. But then again, I know very little about Mills."

Unhelpful, Emma thought. Maybe more questions would open Snow up a bit. Emma didn't want to sound nosey or pushy but …

"You know Red though. Has she said anything to you about her before?"

Snow thought for a moment. "She asked about Mills and Athena a few weeks ago. Athena came to one of my education programmes so I've spent some time with her."

"What did you say?"

"Oh just that Athena knew Mills from before."

"Yeah, Red told me that. Do you know how they know each other on the outside?"

"No," Snow shook her head, "but like everyone else in here, Athena is scared of Mills and does as the queen asks."

"Which includes allowing her access to the kitchen," Emma mused.

"The kitchen?"

"Yeah, I've seen her walk out of there twice now. Why? What does that mean?"

"Nothing, it's just odd, isn't it. I mean Mills works in some administrative capacity for the warden. What would she need an onion for?"

"No idea," Emma muttered, feeling more confused than she had before speaking to Snow, if that was even possible.

When Emma and Snow bumped into Red in the dining hall that evening, the tall brunette didn't mention the foul mood she had been in earlier and Emma decided not to bring it up. The three women ate together and headed for the tv room. There was always a decent film showing on Friday nights even if it they had to watch it on a television screen rather than in the movie room with the projector.

It wasn't too crowded and the girls joined Boyd and French just as Anchor Man began to play. The one thing Emma hated most about the tv room was that inmates chatted the entire time. It was impossible to watch something new because half the storyline would inevitably be missed or confused. However Emma had watched Anchor Man more times than she could count so was less angered by the incessant chattering than she would otherwise have been.

Barely five minutes into the movie, Emma felt a tap on her shoulder. Turning around, she looked up into Regina's face. Tension and worry were etched on the beautiful features and the blonde felt immediately panicked.

"What's wrong?" she asked quietly. Beside her, Red glanced at the older woman before turning resolutely back to the screen. Boyd, French and Snow kept their eyes forward but Emma could practically see their ears straining to hear the hushed conversation.

Regina shook her head almost imperceptibly. "Not here," she muttered before walking quickly from the room. Emma watched her leave the tv room and turn right, towards the chapel. Waiting a couple of minutes, the blonde muttered some excuse about going to the bathroom. She knew it was a pathetic lie and her friends wouldn't buy it but she would deal with their questions later.

Emma all but ran to the chapel and opened the door. It was even darker in the room than it had been when they first met there, the sun from the day long gone.

"Regina?" Emma called into the impenetrable darkness as the door swung shut behind her.

"Over here," came the familiar voice from her left.

The blonde turned and walked out of the sliver of light cast by the frosted window in the chapel door. Feeling her way along the wall, Emma shuffled slowly through the dark room.

"Omphf," came a voice from near her knees.

"Shit, sorry!" Emma exclaimed. "Why are you sat on the floor?"

"It seemed like a good idea at the time," Regina grumbled, rubbing her sore leg where Emma had kicked it.

Confused, Emma slid down the wall and sat beside Regina. Well, she assumed she was sat next to Regina but to be honest she couldn't see a damn thing so it was hard to tell.

"What's up?" Emma asked after a moment.

Regina shifted beside her, trying to get comfortable on the hardwood floor.

"Have you spoken to Red?"

"Barely," Emma said, a cold edge to her tone. "She came into our bunk fuming, took it out on the cabinet and then left to go for a run. She mentioned she'd spoken to you though but wouldn't tell me what about. Are you going to?"

"No."

Emma huffed in frustration. "What, you're protecting me again?"

"Exactly." Regina's reply sounded tired. The brunette didn't like lying to Emma but she knew she had no other option. She just wished the lies didn't make her heart clench.

"Protecting me from what? The knowledge that you and Red are screwing? Or is it some other dirty secret that I'm too vulnerable to know about."

"No, Emma," Regina exclaimed, turning to face the blonde. When she couldn't see anything in the dark room, she reached out and grasped for some physical contact with Emma. Her hand landed on the blonde's arm. Emma flinched but didn't pull away. "Red and I, we're not together. It's not like that."

"Then what is it like Regina?" Emma asked, turning to face Regina too, or at least in her direction.

A sigh was heard before the brunette spoke. "She wanted something from me. I wouldn't give it to her."

"Sex?"

Regina laughed in spite of herself. "No, Emma. I'm not interested in Red. She's been around the block, literally, a few times and I prefer blondes anyway." As she spoke, Regina slid her hand slowly down Emma's arm. When the younger woman didn't pull away, the brunette laced their fingers together. Emma's heart beat faster as she felt the intimate gesture of the other woman's warm hand against hers. Regina rubbed her thumb slowly over Emma's soft skin.

"So ... so what did ... er Red want?" Emma asked, trying to keep the focus on their previous conversation but it was proving difficult as Regina's thumb continued to move gently across her hand.

"Nothing that matters any more," Regina said, her voice closer now. "I said no, it's over."

"Is it?" Emma whispered.

"Yes."

Emma felt Regina's breath on her face. Through the gloom, she could just see the glint in the brown eyes, inches from her own.

Regina hesitated, knowing she was playing with fire. She had promised herself she wouldn't get involved with anyone inside and she certainly couldn't develop feelings for them. But there was something about the blonde. Something she couldn't keep away from. Something she didn't want to keep away from. Emma had occupied her mind for three weeks now and it was driving Regina wild. And not in a bad way.

Emma gasped as Regina's lips pressed firmly against her own. Her fingers tensed, gripping the brunette's hand as the kiss continued. It was short and Regina pulled away quickly, waiting for the blonde to react.

Subconsciously, Emma brought her free hand to her mouth, touching the skin still burning from the feel of Regina's lips.

Regina held her breath, afraid she had scared the blonde.

Suddenly it was Regina's turn to gasp as Emma launched herself at the brunette, her mouth moving steadily over the lips of the woman below her. Regina quickly caught up and reached to thread her hand into Emma's blonde hair, pulling the younger woman closer to her. Their bodies moved towards each other, heat radiating from both women as the kiss intensified.

Regina ran the tip of her tongue along the seam of Emma's lips. The blonde's mouth granted access and she groaned as Regina's tongue slipped teasingly over her own. The hot, wet muscles danced with each other, exploring and tasting as Emma brought her hands to rest on Regina's waist, pulling her closer. Emma nibbled on Regina's bottom lip and was rewarded with the sexiest noise she had ever heard. Heat pooled between the blonde's legs at the sound and she growled into the kiss, pulling Regina even closer to her.

Regina slid her hands around Emma's neck, stroking the smooth skin before letting her thumbs tease her earlobes. The brunette grinned into the kiss when Emma moaned louder at the sensations. Somewhat reluctantly, Regina pulled away, only to place sucking, open mouthed kisses along the blonde's jawline until she reached Emma's ear. The blonde tilted her head back to allow the older woman better access. Dragging the pointed tip of her tongue around the shell of the blonde's ear, Regina moved back down to take the lobe into her mouth. Emma groaned again, her fingernails biting deliciously into Regina's flesh as her body thrummed with want. The hot mouth, the nibbling teeth, the harsh breathing in her ear, the feel of Regina's body pressed so close to her own all combined to make Emma more turned on that she had ever been in her life.

Regina moved her attention back to Emma's mouth and kissed her, hard. She tried to pour all her feelings, her emotions, all the things she could never say to Emma into the kiss. Wrapping her arms more firmly around the blonde's lithe body, Regina relished the sensation of someone so close to her again.

Without warning, a face flashed before Regina's eyes and she pulled away from Emma. The blonde was left panting hard, surprised at the abrupt end to their impassioned kiss.

"I have to go," Regina said, jumping to her feet.

"I ... You ... What?" Emma stuttered, her brain still fuzzy from the toe curling kissing.

"I'm sorry," Regina said, before she rushed out of the room.

Emma watched her go, the brunette temporarily silhouetted against the bright corridor light as the door opened. Seconds later, the room was swallowed by darkness once more. Emma's head fell back against the wall.

"Shit."


	10. Broom Closet

Emma returned to the tv room after five confusing minutes. She slipped back into her chair and tried to reengage with the film but it was hopeless. Her mind was reeling from the most intense kiss of her life. She could still feel Regina's hands caressing her skin, her tongue gliding sensuously against her own, the older woman's hot breath tickling her ear. Emma squirmed in her seat, trying to relieve the thrumming that had been building between her thighs ever since she sat beside Regina in the chapel.

Before she knew it, the credits were rolling. Her friends had noticed Emma's return but decided not to question the blonde's abrupt disappearance and reappearance. Now however, four sets of curious eyes looked at her, waiting expectantly.

"What?" Emma asked, trying to sound nonchalant.

"You know what, Swan," Boyd said.

"It was nothing, Mills just needed something."

"Your tongue down her throat?" Red asked.

"No! Why would you say that?" Emma's pulse beat faster as the lies escalated.

"Because her lipstick is smudged around your mouth," Snow pointed out.

"Shit," Emma mumbled, using her sleeve to scrub at her lips, not that it mattered any more. "Look, it was nothing so can you not spread it around this place, please?"

Her friends all nodded, unconvinced by her answer but willing to heed the blonde's wishes. They stood up and left the tv room together, bidding each other goodnight as they peeled off one by one towards their individual bunks.

"Are you ok?" Red asked when she and Emma were alone in their room.

"I'm fine."

"If you say so. But you know you can talk to me if you need to, right Swan?"

"I know, thanks," Emma smiled gratefully. Regardless of the reservations she had expressed to Booth, it seemed apparent that she had indeed made some true friends inside.

Emma didn't exactly go looking for Regina the following day. Well, she may have walked past her room a few more times than was strictly necessary but every time she peered inside, the brunette was nowhere to be seen. She scanned the dining hall at every meal too and still there was no sign of her. Emma saw Trident, Faery, and Feinberg sitting together but their leader was not among them. Should Emma be worried? The brunette had clearly spooked at something in the chapel the previous evening. Not that she had any right to really, Emma reminded herself. The older woman had initiated the kiss after all.

Emma's sour mood matched Red's as the two women made their way to bed that night. The brunette had increasingly been irritable, Emma noticed, but every time the blonde asked what was wrong, she got a snarky response. She'd stopped asking. Emma's neatly crossed off days stared mockingly at her as she lay awake. March 7th. She had been inside just over three weeks and already it felt like a lifetime. How was she going to make it to January 13th the following year?

A wave of nausea rolled over Emma as her body drifted up from sleep on Monday morning. Groaning, she swung her legs out of bed, donned her slippers and ran towards the bathroom. Crouching before the toilet bowl, she retched as quietly as possible. This routine had become alarmingly common in the past week and Emma was tired of feeling so lousy in the mornings.

"Are you ok?" came an unfamiliar voice from outside the cubicle door.

"Yeah, fine," Emma mumbled, not wanting nor needing sympathy.

There was no response and after a while, footsteps receded from the bathroom. Wiping her mouth, she stood up, flushed, and exited the stall. Rinsing her mouth at the sink, Emma rubbed a hand over her stomach before heading out the door.

"Are you sure you're ok?"

Emma jumped at the voice.

"Jesus, you scared me," she gasped as she looked at the young inmate stood before her.

"Sorry," the girl replied. "I just wanted to make sure you were ok. You didn't sound it."

"I'm fine, as I already told you," Emma said, irritably.

"If you say so," the mousy brunette replied.

"You're new here aren't you?" Emma remarked, eyeing the girl more closely.

"Arrived on Friday. I'm Arendelle," she greeted with a grin, holding out her hand.

"Swan," Emma said, shaking the hand before her.

"Nice to meet you, Swan. Are you heading for breakfast?" Arendelle asked.

"Probably in a bit. They don't start serving until 8am and I'm not hungry now anyway."

"Why were you being sick?" Arendelle asked.

This kid is way too nosey, Emma thought. "I dunno," she shrugged before she started to walk back to her bunk.

"Can I join you for breakfast?"

Jeez, she won't let up! "Yeah sure. I'll meet you in the hall at 8," Emma called back over her shoulder.

Emma was thoroughly unsurprised to see Arendelle waiting patiently just inside the dining hall when she and Red arrived at 8:15. The two brunettes introduced themselves and they ate breakfast together. The new girl seemed nice enough, just a little too enthusiastic and asked a few too many questions. However, she appeared good natured enough and Red seemed to like her.

Emma and Boyd had been wrestling with a particularly large sheet that was refusing to fold squarely for a few minutes when a soft cough from behind them caught their attention.

"Regina?" Emma blurted out, dropping her end of the sheet which made Boyd swear.

"Good afternoon, Miss Swan," Regina said, stiffly. "May I have a word?"

Nodding mutely, Emma followed the brunette from the laundry room. Boyd watched the two women go with a smirk on her face. The use of the brunette's first name had not gone unnoticed.

Regina led them to the far end of the corridor. The laundry room was surrounded by supply closets and the brunette tried each door handle until she found one that was unlocked. Pulling the door open, she gestured for Emma to walk inside.

The blonde looked beyond the door and then back at Regina. "It's a broom closet."

"Yes," Regina nodded. "Get in."

Frowning, Emma crossed her arms. "After you."

Sighing at the petulant behaviour, Regina gracefully stepped over a bucket and nudged some cleaning products out of the way with her foot. Once she was settled, Emma smirked before following her inside and closing the door.

"Why do we always meet somewhere pitch black?" Emma asked, blinking rapidly to try and make out Regina through the gloom.

"Privacy," she answered simply.

"Privacy for what?"

"This," Regina said before she pressed her lips against the blonde's. Arms slithered around Emma's waist, pulling her closer as their mouths melded together. Emma brought her own hands up to tangle in Regina's long brown locks, groaning as the brunette's tongue pressed demandingly against her lips. She acquiesced and opened her mouth, darting her own tongue out to taste Regina first. Their was a brief battle for dominance as lips moved, tongues twisted, and teeth nibbled. Fingers clawed at hair and clothes, trying to get impossibly closer to the other woman.

Suddenly, the kiss ended. Now it was Regina's turn to be confused at the abrupt conclusion.

"What?" the brunette asked, panting slightly.

"You know what," Emma replied, her breathing equally affected by the passionate embrace.

Silence filled the broom closet as both women paused, one waiting on an explanation, the other trying to decide how much to reveal.

"I'm sorry," Regina began. "I didn't mean to leave like that on Saturday. It was wrong of me and I regretted it the moment I stepped out of the door."

"Then why didn't you come back?" Emma asked, still confused.

"Because I got scared," Regina admitted in a small voice.

"Scared?" Emma frowned. "Of me?"

"Not exactly," Regina sighed. "I was scared of what might happen to you. What being with me might mean for your future."

"I still don't understand," Emma said. "You gave me the best kiss of my life and then, right in the middle of it, you somehow decided you couldn't get away from me fast enough. What happened?"

"Memories," Regina whispered.

"Memories? Of someone from your past?"

"Yes." Regina was speaking so quietly that Emma had to strain her ears to hear.

"What happened to them?"

There was a long pause. Emma thought she may have heard a stifled sob. "She died."

Emma reached out in the dark and grasped Regina's hand, squeezing in what she hoped was a reassuring way.

"I'm sorry," she offered, knowing the words would do very little to make the brunette feel better.

"Thank you," Regina sniffed. "It was a long time ago and I thought I was over it. I am over it, I think. I mean, I've worked through my grief and accepted what happened. It wasn't so much the memory of her. It was you and the possibility that you could end up like her."

Confused, Emma asked a difficult question, hoping it would provide some clarity to Regina's rambled explanations.

"How did she die?"

Now Emma was sure Regina was crying as a sob echoed through the small space. The blonde wrapped her arms around the older woman and held her as she shook and trembled with grief. Running a soothing hand up and down Regina's back, Emma murmured reassuring things in her ear as she waited patiently for the answer.

"It was my fault," Regina admitted in a small voice. "She worked with me, dealing. She had made a new contact, through the cook, Athena, and there was supposed to be a big buy happening. Danielle arranged it all. Time, location, amount. The only other person who knew was me. We were partners, in life and in the business. That night, Athena came to me asking about the meet. I assumed she knew about it as this new dealer was a friend of hers. But she had become an informant for the Feds and Athena told agents the meet details I gave her. When Danielle and the dealer showed, the Feds had them surrounded. The bastard drug dealer used Danielle as a human shield, threatening to kill her if they came any closer. They did. And he did."

Another sob escaped Regina as she relived one of the worst nights of her life.

"I'm so sorry, Regina," Emma whispered, still holding the brunette close to her.

Regina nodded against Emma's neck, trying to steady her breathing. After a few minutes, she pulled back, wiped her face, and reached for Emma's hand.

"I don't want to put you in danger," she stated, firmly. "People I care about, people close to me, they end up getting hurt. Nothing more can happen between us Emma. I can't take the risk."

"But Danielle's death wasn't your fault Regina."

"Wasn't it?" the older woman said, darkly.

"Even if it was, which it wasn't, we're safe in here. No one would dare hurt the queen and you have your cronies for protection. Plus, no one will try to hurt you if you don't give them a reason to. You're not a drug dealer any more Regina."

"Aren't I?" Regina muttered before clapping a hand over her mouth.

"Are you?" Emma asked, eyebrows raised.

"I've got to go," Regina said hastily, fumbling for the broom closet door.

"Seriously? Again?" Emma huffed, shielding her eyes as the bright corridor lights hit her in the face.

"I'm sorry," Regina said with a final longing look back at the blonde who was stood motionless surrounded by mops and cleaning products.

Emma leaned back against the shelves behind her as Regina disappeared down the corridor. Sighing, she wiped her lipstick stained mouth on her sleeve and combed through her tousled hair with her fingers before she stepped out of the broom closet and headed back to work.

Emma's mind was preoccupied for the rest of her shift. Now she knew what had happened to land Regina inside. Now she knew what Athena had to do with everything. Now she knew why Regina didn't seem to trust anyone. But why was Regina still convinced she was in danger? And what was that comment about still being a drug dealer? The brunette couldn't possibly be dealing in prison, could she?

Emma had three options. Ask Regina herself. Ask Red. And ask Athena.

Emma quickly ruled out the first option. Every time Regina's past came up in their conversations it had ended badly. Emma knew it was a painful subject and she didn't want the brunette to relive it for the sake of her curiosity.

Talking to Red was a possibility but Emma would have to wait until she was in a good mood. Although how much her bunkmate knew was debatable as from what Emma had seen, the two barely interacted. Perhaps there was something more than met the eye, since Regina had managed to infuriate Red so completely the previous weekend.

Athena was the only link to Regina's life before FCI. The problem was, Emma had never spoken to the redhead and she didn't want to just barge up to her and start asking questions about another inmate. Perhaps she could get Snow to introduce them and start chatting casually before slipping in a few questions about the older woman.

Emma sighed heavily as she dumped the last load of pillow cases, now neatly folded, on the table. Glancing at the clock, she saw she had just three minutes left of her shift.

"Ready to go sign out?" Boyd called from behind a pile of sheets walking towards Emma.

The blonde laughed at the sight and helped the other blonde place the load in the correct baskets.

"Yep, let's get out of here."

"So," Boyd began as the two women started walking back to their bunks, "are you going to tell me what you talked to Mills, or should I call her Regina, about?" She laughed, nudging Emma gently.

"No," Emma replied quietly. "And please don't tell the other that she came down. I don't want them gossiping about us."

"Ok," Boyd assured. "Gotta say though Swan, you surprise me."

"Surprise you how?" Emma asked.

"I didn't realise you were into girls."

"Neither did I," Emma mused as she remembered the sensation of Regina's plump lips moving softly against her own.


	11. Test Results

Emma groaned as she leant over the toilet bowl once more. This was getting ridiculous she mused as she sat back against the cubicle door and wiped her sweating brow. For once in her life she was looking forward to her doctor's appointment that afternoon, if only to have some answers about what was making her feel so rotten.

Returning to her room, Red glanced up at Emma from her mirror in which she was applying eyeliner. She had noticed how often the blonde was being sick in the mornings but when she asked, Emma had dismissed it as nothing. The brunette had another theory but she kept it to herself for now.

"Feeling better?" she asked as she went back to perfecting her makeup.

"Barely," Emma said, flopping down onto her bed.

"Got any of those nausea pills left?"

"Two but they don't work that well," Emma said, her hands rubbing soothing circles over her stomach. "I'll be ok in a bit."

"You going to see the doc today right? Maybe she can provide some answers."

"Hopefully," Emma nodded, staring at the calendar.

Friday 13th March. She had been inside for an entire month. Exactly one eleventh of her sentence had been served. Only ten more months left.

"Do you want me to come with you?" Red offered, standing up and placing her makeup bag back in her cabinet.

"No thanks," Emma said. "I think Booth is gonna be there anyway."

"Ok," Red shrugged. "Breakfast?"

"Yep," Emma said, standing up and following her friend to the dining hall.

They met Snow and French in line for food, the two of them having an animated discussion about which Harry Potter book was the best.

"I still maintain Chamber of Secrets is highly underrated," Snow said, folding her arms. "It sets up so much of the storyline. It has the first horcrux in it. We learn about Voldemort's family and everything."

"Yes but Prisoner of Azkaban has Sirius in it. And werewolves. And Wormtail becomes human again which starts the whole ball rolling for the rest of the storyline," Emma butted in, glad of something to distract her from her roiling stomach.

"I still maintain nothing can beat the last book," French argued. "Everything is pulled together and explained so perfectly. It shows how amazingly J K Rowling planned out the entire storyline before she even started writing. She's phenomenal and I think Deathly Hallows shows just how talented a story teller she is."

"Why do you care so much about these books?" Red asked. "Aren't they for children?"

"You've never read them?" French asked, eyebrows raised.

"Nah, I'm not really a reader," Red shrugged.

"We'll soon fix that. After your work today, come to the library and I'll set you up with some books."

Red groaned dramatically but winked at Emma as she did so.

The women got their breakfasts and sat down together, Emma nibbling on some plain toast which had quickly become her staple morning meal. Glancing around the dining hall absentmindedly, Emma watched Athena work. The woman was young, perhaps a year or two older than Emma. She served the meals alongside the other cooks, occasionally disappearing into the back to get more food. As Emma watched, Trident lined up for breakfast. The blonde observed Athena glance at the black woman and nod her head almost imperceptibly. As Trident slid her tray in front of the redhead, Athena reached below the counter, slipping something underneath the plate before handing it over to the other inmate. Trident turned and walked away, sitting in the back corner behind Emma. Trying to turn around subtly, the blonde watched as Trident read from a small scrap of paper, a grim look on her face before she placed it into her pocket.

Frowning, Emma turned back to her friends and tried to reengage in their conversation, which had moved on to the family and friends who were due to visit the following morning.

Emma sat outside Doctor Fisher's room, picking at her nails. Booth sat beside her, waiting patiently. He had been touched when the blonde came to him earlier in the week, asking him to accompany her to the appointment. He could sense she was nervous and understood her desire to have someone trustworthy close to her. At least, as her counsellor, he hoped she trusted him.

The door beside Emma clicked open and the blonde jumped, looking up into the smiling face of the doctor.

"Hi Miss Swan, come on in," Fisher said kindly.

The blonde traipsed inside, sitting in the same chair as the previous week while Booth stood next to the door.

"So," Fisher said, taking her own seat and pulling up Emma's charts on the computer. "We have your test results back. I think we know why you've been nauseous in the mornings."

Emma heaved a sigh of relief at the news. Maybe now they would give her something to help her stomach.

"How long have you been at FCI Miss Swan?" Fisher asked.

"One month today," Emma answered.

"And when were you arrested?" Fisher questioned.

"Five weeks before that. Why?" Emma asked.

"That fits," Fisher mused, glancing once more at Emma's results. "Your blood work shows you're pregnant Miss Swan."

Emma stared, open mouthed at the doctor. She wasn't sure she had heard correctly. She couldn't have heard correctly. There was no way she could be pregnant. She was in prison. She and Neal had always used condoms. Well, except for that one time on New Years Eve…

"Emma?" Booth's voice sounded far away, fuzzy.

She jumped as she felt a gentle hand on her arm. She looked from the point of contact up into the compassionate face of the doctor.

"You had no idea?" Fisher asked.

"No," breathed Emma. "What … what do I do?"

"Well, you have options," the doctor said, leaning back in her seat. "You're about ten weeks along and you are within your legal rights to request a termination. Otherwise, you can go through with the pregnancy and the baby can either be put up for adoption or a family member can be given temporary guardianship until you finish your sentence. How much longer have you got to serve?"

"Ten months," Emma whispered, her mind working overtime to comprehend this life changing news.

"Ok, well your baby is due towards the end of September," Fisher told her.

"When do I have to decide what I want to do?"

"You have some time. Terminations can take place up until the twenty fourth week. But I wouldn't recommend waiting too long if that is the route you want to go down. If you have a family member who may take the baby, you'll also want to speak to them soon to gauge their situation."

"I don't have any family," Emma said. She had never felt more alone in her life. Except … she placed her hand over her flat stomach almost as if she was feeling for a sign of life. Not that there was anything to feel. The baby was probably the size of a peanut.

"Do you have any questions for me?" Fisher asked.

"Not right now," Emma said. "It's all just a bit of a shock."

"Of course," Fisher nodded understandably. "I suggest you speak with Counsellor Booth about this when you've had time to digest the information."

Emma glanced around at the rugged man stood by the door. She had forgotten he was even there but he smiled kindly at her as he nodded his encouragement.

"Of course," he said. "We'll work this out together Swan."

"Now I know you're pregnant, I can give you some specific prenatal anti-nausea tablets which should be more effective," Fisher said as she stood and walked to the cabinet on the far wall. "I'll schedule an ultrasound appointment for two weeks time. At the three month mark we should be able to get a decent image. Is the same time ok for you?"

Emma nodded and took the tablets, mumbled her thanks and headed for the door.

"Miss Swan," the doctor called from behind her. Emma turned around. "Congratulations."

Emma bid goodbye to Booth outside the sleeping area and walked towards her bunk. She felt numb. She felt nothing. She felt everything. Emotions were swirling around her head, conflicting feelings jumbled together as she tried to comprehend the fact that she was pregnant. Emma Swan was going to have a baby. In prison.

The bunk was mercifully empty when Emma returned and she collapsed on the bed, perhaps more carefully than she would usually do. Lying on her back, she stared at the ceiling. How had this happened? Three months ago her life had been amazing. She had an incredible boyfriend, a vibrant and exciting lifestyle, and freedom. Now she was single, pregnant and incarcerated.

Rolling onto her side, facing the wall, Emma began to cry. Tears ran down her cheeks, seeping into her pillow as her body shock with silent sobs.

"Swan?" came a voice from the doorway.

Wiping her face, Emma sat up and looked towards the corridor. Officer Fa stood there.

"Yes," Emma said, frowning.

"Post for you," she said, passing Emma an already opened envelope.

Even more confused, Emma took the lumpy package and Fa disappeared.

Opening it up, Emma gasped at what she saw inside. The swan pendant Neal had stolen for her months before was clipped onto a key. Pulling the key out, Emma examined it. The Volkswagen logo was clearly displayed on the plastic top but it was unfamiliar to her. She and Neal had always started her bug with a screwdriver so what did this key belong to?

Glancing back into the envelope, Emma pulled out two pieces of paper. One was a cheque. Emma's jaw dropped as she looked at it.

Emma Swan. $15,000. Signed Neal Cassidy.

Emma had half a mind to rip up the cheque right there and then but her right hand subconsciously drifted to her stomach, stopping her rash decision.

Looking at the final piece of paper, Emma saw Neal's messy scrawl. Taking a deep breath, she began to read:

Emma,

I'll never be able to say sorry enough times to make up for what I did to you but please know that I am. Here's your half of the money. And the key is to your car. I had a friend make it. When you get out, you'll find the bug at Taylor's Impound Lot in Tallahassee. Tell Taylor your name. He's expecting you.

I'm truly sorry, Emma.

Neal x

Emma screwed the note up in a ball and threw it across the room. It bounced off the wall and landed on Red's unmade bed. Anger boiled inside Emma as thoughts of her ex boyfriend filled her mind. How did Neal think some money and a car were going to make up for Emma losing almost one year of her life? Nothing that man could ever do would be enough for Emma to forgive him. The blonde balled her hands into fists, digging her fingernails into her palms. The pain grounded her, brought her back to the present instead of fuming about the past. There was nothing she could do now. Neal had gone. He had left her. He had left her carrying his child. A child who Emma could never care for herself. A child whose first breath was going to be taken in prison.

As soon as the doctor had told Emma, she knew she could not have an abortion. She didn't believe in them. But that meant her son or daughter might end up in the foster system and have a shitty upbringing like she had. Emma closed her eyes and silently prayed to a God she didn't believe in to allow her child to find a loving, secure family.

The money. What would she do with that? Perhaps there was a way to give it to the family who adopted the baby. Emma didn't want a constant reminder of the man who screwed her over. The car however … Emma loved that beat up yellow vehicle and admitted her heart had skipped a beat when she realised what the key was for.

Lying back down on the bed, Emma clasped the key and the cheque against her chest. Her mind was spinning as she thought over everything that had happened in the past hour. The blonde wouldn't have described her life as ideal beforehand, but it was at least simple, straightforward. Now however, Emma didn't think she had ever been more confused in her entire life.

"How was the doctor?" Red asked, entering the bunk and drawing Emma out of her thoughts.

"Fine," Emma said, not wanting to share her news just yet. "How was the library?"

"Great," Red said, a faint blush appearing on her cheeks as she dumped the entire Harry Potter collection onto her cabinet. Emma didn't notice as she was still staring resolutely at the ceiling. "What have you got there?" Red asked as she glanced at her bunkmate.

Emma held up the key.

"What does it open?"

"My car," Emma said.

"Cool," Red grinned. "At least you'll have something to sleep in when you get out."

Emma laughed darkly, remembering the numerous nights she and Neal had huddled under a blanket on the back seat, wrapped in each other's arm for warmth. Her heart clenched at the memory.

"This yours?" Red asked, picking up the balled up note from her bed.

Emma jumped to her feet and snatched it back. Red's eyes widened at the move.

"Sorry," Emma muttered. "It's private."

"Is everything ok Swan?" Red asked, sitting down other bed and looking intently at her bunkmate.

"I'm fine. Wanna come for dinner?" Emma asked, walking out without waiting for Red's reply. Frowning at the strange behaviour, Red got to her feet and strode after the blonde.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> P.S. Emma's views on abortion are not mine, I just needed to give her a reason to keep the baby. Please don't review with angry pro-choice messages, thanks! Love you all x


	12. Shut Down

Saturday mornings in prison always made Emma feel particularly lonely. Her friends all disappeared off to see their family and friends and the blonde was left alone. Even French's father was making his rare visit this week. The only person Emma knew who wouldn't be at visitation was Regina and the older woman had deliberately avoided the blonde every time they had seen one another since their kiss and subsequent conversation in the broom closet that Monday.

Emma was angry. It wasn't that Emma didn't like Regina. She did. More than she should. But the older woman was infuriating her by refusing to allow Emma to make her own choice. Regina had all but shut their budding relationship, or whatever two heavy make out sessions qualified as, down without asking the blonde what she wanted. Emma didn't like to be told what she could and couldn't do and she certainly didn't like being told who she could or couldn't be with. Sure, she understood Regina's reasoning, but Emma wanted the opportunity to properly speak to the brunette about what was going on between the two of them. Instead, Regina had declared they couldn't see each other and had managed to avoid talking to the blonde all week.

As Emma lay in her bed, her hand drifted subconsciously to her stomach. It was doing that a lot lately. The blonde thought about the tiny human growing there. She realised she had next to no idea what was going on inside her. Remembering French was at visitation, Emma figured now was the best time to go to the library and look for books on pregnancy without letting on to her friends that she was expecting.

Making her way towards the library, Emma enjoyed the quiet of the corridors which always came with visitation days. Slipping into the deserted room, Emma glanced around, wondering where to start. She had never been inside the library without French and hadn't paid any attention to the way the books were organised. She ran her finger along the nearest shelf, scanning the titles before her. They appeared to be legal books, stereotypically common in prison. Moving further into the room, Emma found books on history, science, text books for school, and collections of other random subjects. Nearing the back, she spotted a small stack of books. The top one had a baby on the front of it. Picking them up, Emma thumbed through the titles. They covered pregnancy, birth, and early childhood. Looking around, the blonde confirmed she was still alone in the library before taking a couple of the pregnancy books and settling herself on the floor, her back resting against the shelves. Opening the first title, she began to read.

Emma jumped when the door slammed shut. Dropping the book she had been reading to the floor, she peered through the shelves, looking for who had entered the library. Frowning, Emma squinted, trying to work out what she was seeing. Two sets of legs, both clad in prison issue trousers stood close together, against the door. A moan echoed through the open space and Emma's mouth fell open as she realised what was happening. As quietly as possible, the blonde placed both books back on the pile and crawled to the end of the shelving unit, peering around the edge and looking towards the door.

Red's hair was unmistakable, the namesake stripe obvious from Emma's hidden position. The brunette was pressed up against another woman, locked in a passionate embrace. As Emma watched, Red's hands drew up from the waist of the woman before her to tangle in brown hair. The hands of the other woman slid around, pulling Red closer.

Emma gasped as the two women broke apart and she saw the other girl's face. Red's head whipped around at the sound, staring into the green eyes of her bunkmate.

"Emma!" she exclaimed, wiping her mouth as she stood in front of the woman against the door.

"Sorry," Emma stuttered as she clambered to her feet. "I didn't mean to interrupt. I'll leave."

Red moved away from the door, the shorter brunette following her. Emma walked past, cheeks tinged with embarrassment at having been caught watching her friends making out. As her hand reached for the door, its progress was stalled.

"Please don't tell anyone," French said, her eyes wide and pleading.

"I won't." Emma assured and French released her grip on the blonde's wrist.

When Red walked into their bunk an hour later, Emma was sitting on her bed immersed in The Great Gatsby. She had read the book in school but wanted to reread it after watching the movie. She loved Carey Mulligan's portrayal of Daisy and enjoyed the book even more as she pictured the actors from the film within the prose.

"Hey," Red muttered, sitting down opposite Emma.

"Hi," Emma said, grinning happily at her friend.

"You really won't say anything?"

"No," Emma repeated. "But I don't think you should be ashamed of it. French is great and you guys would be good together."

"Thanks," Red smiled shyly. "Belle's amazing, I'm just not sure I'm ready for people to know about us."

"How long has it been going on?"

"Two weeks," Red admitted. "It's easier to keep secrets in this place than people think. You're the first person to find out."

"You haven't told Snow?" Emma asked, surprised. The two women were very close.

"No, Snow's terrible at keeping secrets," Red laughed.

"Well I'm not so don't worry," Emma said.

"Thanks," Red grinned. "You wanna go for lunch? I said I'd join -,"

"Red." came an abrupt voice from the doorway.

Both women turned to look. Feinberg stood there, arms crossed. The platinum blonde wore her usual sour expression but Emma though she looked even more surly than usual.

"Yes?" Red replied, questioningly.

"Come with me," Feinberg said, stepping backwards into the corridor to wait for Red.

Frowning, Red got up from her bed and walked out of the room and followed the tall blonde. Emma watched her go, just as confused as her bunkmate.

Emma waited twenty minutes for Red to return. When she did, the brunette had a steely look on her face.

"What did Feinberg want?" Emma asked.

"Nothing," Red snapped. "I'm going to skip lunch. I'll see you later."

Red sat down on her bed and picked up one of her new magazines. Despite their room being shared, Emma got the distinct impression she was being dismissed. Annoyed at Red's behaviour, Emma nevertheless got up and walked out of the bunk, glancing once more over her shoulder before heading to the dining hall.

She didn't mention Feinberg's visit to French when the brunette asked Emma shyly where Red was a few minutes later. The two of them joined Snow and Boyd for lunch, the three other women exchanging details of their visitation whilst Emma sat listening to family feuds and friendship problems.

The four women headed outside after lunch, all of them enjoying the increasingly warm sunshine and the arrival of spring. Flowers peeked through the grass, offering a splash of colour and hope to the prisoners. Boyd and French sat on a bench, joining a game of cards whilst Emma and Snow decided to walk the perimeter again.

"Where's Red?" Snow asked.

"She wasn't hungry," Emma said, simply.

Snow frowned. "Never known that girl to turn down food before. I hope she's ok."

"She seemed fine, just didn't want lunch," Emma assured the pixie brunette.

"And how about you Emma?" Snow asked. "Red mentioned you'd been ill a few mornings. Are you better now."

"In a manner of speaking," Emma said. "I'll dealing with it," she added at Snow's confused expression.

"Ok," Snow said slowly, deciding not to press the issue.

The two walked on in companionable silence, enjoying the feel of the sunlight on their skin. Birds flew overhead and a gentle breeze rustled the trees surrounding the fenced enclosure. Emma sighed contently as she soaked in the nature around her.

"Miss Swan," called a familiar voice from behind her.

Emma took a deep breath and turned around. "Mills," she said, almost coldly.

Regina raised an eyebrow at the tone but continued to walked towards the two women. When she stopped in front of them, she looked pointedly at Snow, waiting.

"I'll catch you up," Emma muttered. Snow nodded and stepped away, turning to continue her walk alone. When she was out of earshot, Emma spoke. "What do you want Regina?" she asked, her arms folded.

"I need to talk to you," Regina said earnestly.

"So talk," Emma said.

"Not here," Regina shook her head. "Can you meet me tonight, when the movie is playing?"

"Why should I?" Emma asked.

Regina sighed, running her hand through her long hair. "Because I owe you an explanation, an apology, and I want to give them to you."

Emma looked at the woman before her. She looked tired again, her face was paler than usual and her hair had lost its usual bounce and lustre. Her chocolate eyes however glinted in the sunlight, looking pleadingly up into the blonde's face as she waited for her response.

"Ok," Emma nodded. "Where?"

"Our place," Regina said, reaching out to squeeze Emma's hand briefly before turning and walking away.

As Bridesmaids started playing, Emma slipped out the back of the movie room and made her way down the corridor to the chapel. Pulling the door open, she entered the dark room and waited for her eyes to adjust slightly.

"Emma?" came Regina's voice from the far right corner.

"Yes," Emma called as she began to walk towards the voice.

"Shit!" she exclaimed, rubbing her shin where the chair had hit it. "Why do you have to be so far away from the door in a pitch black room filled with hard obstacles?"

A deep laugh echoed at the blonde's complaint. Emma swore again and continued down the aisle, holding onto the back of each chair to avoid any further injuries.

"Come to the far end," Regina said as she heard Emma stumbling closer.

The brunette reached out her hand as the dark outline of Emma moved towards her. Grasping the blonde's arm, Regina gently guided Emma into the chair next to her and took hold of her hand.

"Sorry, I know meeting in a place with no lights isn't ideal but we don't really have anywhere else to go."

"Except broom closets," Emma pointed out. Regina chuckled.

"Look, I'm sorry about Monday and running out on you like that. Again. Especially after dumping all my emotional wreck of a life on you. That wasn't fair."

"It's ok," Emma said, rubbing her thumb over Regina's hand which was still in hers. She had meant to stay angry with the brunette but she seemed incapable of doing so.

"No, it's not ok Emma. You deserve better."

"But I don't want better," Emma said. "Shit, no that sounded wrong. What I mean is, you don't have to be better to be deserving of me. You're incredible and I can't get you out of my head Regina. You're infuriating, don't get me wrong, but I really like you and I wanna … I don't know what I want. But I know it involves me and you. Together."

Regina leaned forwards, capturing the blonde's lips in her own in a sweet, gentle kiss. Pulling back after a few seconds, Regina squeezed Emma's hands before continuing.

"You do deserve better Emma, believe me. And I want to be better for you. So … Ok I have something to tell you and you have to promise me not to interrupt before you've heard the entire story. Deal?"

Emma nodded slowly before realising Regina couldn't see her. "Yes."

Regina gripped Emma's hands tightly before beginning.

"For the past two years, I've been supplying inmates with cocaine."

"Wh-"

"No interrupting," Regina said, sternly, tapping her finger disapprovingly against Emma's hand before continuing. "I forced Athena to accept delivery of it through the catering business that supplies the kitchens. I'm in charge of ordering the food through my administrative job and one of my old contacts struck a deal with a truck driver. The guards never cottoned on as I was allowed to be in the kitchen because of my admin role. Trident and Feinberg both use, that's why they work so loyally for me. I've been supplying them for half price the entire time. Faery doesn't use but she takes a percentage of the profits made from anything she deals out of commissary. At least she did before that dopey Rose took over. Then she switched to selling from her bunk. That's what Red wanted from me the other week. I was low on supply as something had gone wrong with a delivery and she needed a hit."

"Red uses?" Emma blurted out before she could stop herself.

"What did I say about not interrupting? And not any more she doesn't. I refused to sell to her after your lecture in the yard that day. You were right, Emma. I wasn't thinking about the consequences of these girls taking drugs. Which is why," she took a deep breath, "I've shut the business down. As of today. The deliveries have stopped and Trident got the confirmation from Athena that everything is out of the kitchen. The last of the cocaine we had has been split between Feinberg and Trident in exchange for their continued loyalty to me until I get out in six months. And Faery's bank account has seen a significant increase after she agreed to join them."

Emma's mind whirred as Regina finished speaking. She had so many questions for the brunette. So many things had been explained but there was so much more left to know. She opened her mouth and closed it again several times before finally forming a sentence.

"Why did you start dealing again in the first place?"

"Money," Regina shrugged. "The Feds took everything when I was arrested and I wanted to have a nest egg to come out to."

"Do you?" Emma asked.

"Yes," Regina nodded. "Six figures, but I'm not sure of the exact amount."

Emma whistled, impressed and sickened that Regina had made so much money from young women's addictions.

"So how many girls in here use?" Emma frowned. She had been unaware of a drug problem in the prison but now felt stupid, thinking perhaps she had missed the signs.

"More than you'd think. But cocaine doesn't have such an obvious come down as heroin or other hard drugs so it's difficult to tell who's using unless you know. The girls come to me whenever they need a hit and, until yesterday, I had a steady supply for whomever had the money."

"How did they pay you?" Emma asked, curious. "Surely you don't need hundreds of thousands of dollars in your commissary account?"

Regina laughed. "No, I have a mobile phone hidden behind a loose brick in the bathroom which has a money transfer app on it. The clients signed in, transferred the money and I handed over the drugs."

"Clever," Emma nodded, reluctantly impressed by Regina's business arrangement.

"It served me well, yes. But it's over now. I've stopped everything."

"Because of what I said to you?" Emma asked.

"Not exactly … I stopped for you, Emma," Regina stated, simply.

There was a pause, Emma's mind trying to process everything she had learned.

"What am I meant to think Regina?" she asked at last. "I like you, you know that. But you've been so confusing about … whatever we are. Running away after our first kiss, then leaving in the middle of a conversation and ignoring me afterwards. And now you tell me you're a drug lord who's responsible for leaving my addicted bunkmate to go cold turkey. I'm not saying you should have continued dealing but … Why are you doing the right thing now?"

Regina hesitated before answering. "I have been inside for two and a half years Emma, and until a month ago, I cared about no one but myself. And then I met you. Everything changed. The risks I was taking, the immoral decisions I made. They all started to matter. You're a good person Emma." Emma snorted. "Ok you're in prison but that isn't really your fault and you don't deserve to be labeled a criminal. In fact, you deserve the best in life. I knew I couldn't give it to you if I continued to deal and exist in the shady underworld of drugs. So I decided to do the right thing because I want to be worthy of you. I want to give this, us, a try. If you want the same thing…" Regina's voice trailed off as she waited for the blonde to answer.

"Us?" Emma asked.

"Yes," Regina replied, lacing the fingers of their still joined hands together. "Me and you. I want to see if we could be something because I've never felt the way I do about you before. Not even with Danielle."

"I've never felt this way either," Emma admitted.

"How do you feel Emma?" Regina asked. The blonde shivered at the seductive sound of her name on the brunette's tongue.

"You make me feel alive. Like anything is possible. You make me feel special, wanted, beautiful. My heart beats faster when I am near you and when we're apart, I can't get you out of my head. You're consuming every aspect of my life and it scares me. But in a good way. The warmth I feel when I'm around you is addictive. I want to be closer to you. I want to know you, really know you. And I want you to know me too."

Emma stopped speaking, afraid she had said too much. She bit her lip, waiting for the brunette to respond.

Emma gasped as Regina's lips clashed passionately with her own. The brunette clambered awkwardly into Emma's laps, straddling her thighs and wrapping her arms around the slender neck, never once breaking the kiss. The blonde grasped Regina's waist, squeezing slightly before sliding the older woman further up her lap, drawing their cores closer together as their mouths moved sensuously against one another.

Pulling away after a minute, Regina rested her forehead against Emma's, breathing heavily.

"I'm so glad you said that Emma," she husked, "because I feel exactly the same way."

Both women were smiling as their lips joined once more.


	13. First Time

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> NSFW

Emma gasped into the kiss as Regina's hands fisted tighter in her loose curls. She ran her fingers up the older woman's sides, caressing the slender frame through the material. Nibbling on Regina's bottom lip, Emma was rewarded with a whimper and she smirked as she pulled the succulent flesh between her own lips, suckling it into her hot mouth. Regina's fingers grazed the nape of Emma's neck before moving to rest gently on both cheeks, angling the blonde's head backwards so Regina could deepen the kiss.

A tongue slipped teasingly out and flicked expectantly at the seam of Emma's mouth. Lips parted immediately and Regina moaned as she tasted the blonde once more. Her hands slid deep into the blonde locks, gripping firmly as the sensation of Emma's hands all over her body made her core throb. As exploring fingers trailed up towards her chest, Regina nibbled on Emma's lip, grinning as she felt the blonde jump a little beneath her.

Emma's hands landed on Regina's breasts, squeezing the generous globes through the fabric covering them. The blonde revelled in the heavy weight of the flesh in her hands. But it wasn't enough. She wanted more, she needed more. Fumbling for the hem of the tan shirt, Emma pulled the fabric upwards. Regina broke the kiss almost reluctantly but allowed Emma to tug the shirt over her head and discard in on the chair beside her. Underneath, Regina wore a thin strap top, not that Emma could see it through the dark. When the blonde's hands moved back to the older woman's breasts and found them still covered, she huffed in frustration, making Regina giggle. Emma's core tightened at the sound. It was beautiful. She hurriedly removed the top and reached around to unclasp Regina's bra for good measure.

Regina held her breath as she felt her breasts release from the cups. She waited as Emma's hands slid slowly around from her back, grazing her sides before sliding up her arms and tucking one finger into each bra strap. Pulling the garment slowly down, Regina felt her nipples harden as the cool air hit them.

"Oh!" she cried, gripping Emma's shoulders as, without warning, a hot mouth enveloped a tight nipple. Emma's hand moved to caress and tweak the other breast, her lips peppering soft kisses all over the globe before focusing once more on the areola. Her mouth sealed around it, sucking gently as her tongue flicked over the nipple.

Another cry escaped Regina's lips as she ground her hips involuntarily towards the woman below her. Emma smirked against the breast in her mouth before she released the now wet nipple and moved her mouth to its twin, her hand taking over ministration on the already stimulated peak.

"Emma!" Regina gasped as teeth lightly captured the tight bud, worrying it between them before letting it go. The blonde kissed her way back up the older woman's heaving chest and reconnected their lips, tongues reaching out to duel immediately. Emma wrapped her arms around Regina, pulling her closer to her and running her fingernails over the smooth skin.

Regina moaned as her sensitive nipples rubbed against Emma's shirt. Good as it felt, the brunette needed to feel their skin pressed together. She reached down and tugged Emma's top off, gliding her hands over the newly exposed skin. Her fingers trailed over the flat abdomen before her, the muscles rippling at the touch and goosebumps forming over the stimulated skin. Suddenly, Emma reached out and grasped her wrist. Regina stopped her movement immediately, confused.

The blonde hesitated for a split second as she thought through her action. She hadn't done it consciously but something had made her stop Regina touching her stomach. She mentally shook herself and pushed the thought of her baby out of her mind. She pulled Regina's arm behind her, guiding the fingers to her bra clasp. The brunette understood the message and quickly removed the remaining fabric covering Emma's breasts.

Emma pulled Regina back towards her, groaning as the older woman's nipples grazed her breasts. Regina herself gasped as she felt the puckered buds of the blonde press insistently into her soft flesh. Their mouths reconnected as Regina rocked her hips slowly, gyrating against Emma and causing their breasts to rub together.

The heat pooling between Emma's legs was almost too much as the brunette moved above her. Just as the younger woman was about to plunge her own hand into her trousers, Regina pulled away and stood up. Emma was confused for a split second before she felt fingers dip into the waistband of her trousers and a gentle tap to her hips from a finger. Getting the hint, Emma lifted her ass off the chair and Regina pulled the pants and the prison issue white panties down her toned legs. Kneeling down, Regina unlaced Emma's boots, removing them and the socks before she tugged the trousers and panties the rest of the way down and tossed them aside.

Emma was sat completely naked in a chair in a chapel, Regina Mills knelt between her thighs. If she wasn't so turned on she would have laughed at the situation. Instead, she gasped as Regina's fingers touched her ankle, the fingertips scratching lightly at the skin before working their way upwards, along her calves, over her knees and wound their way up her thighs, slipping from the inner to the outer and back again as they went. When her fingers reached Emma's hips, Regina moved her hands around and took firm hold of the blonde's tight ass, pulling the younger woman forward in her chair.

Settling herself comfortably in front of the blonde, Regina pushed Emma's thighs wider apart, shuffling forwards and using her shoulders to widen the blonde even further. As she moved closer, the scent of the younger woman's sex hit her nose, a guttural sound rising from deep within her as the coiling in Regina's core tightened.

"Are you ok?" Regina whispered, unable to see the blonde's face to confirm this was what they both wanted.

"Fuck yes!" Emma breathed back, anticipation building every second.

Regina smirked at the response and slowly lowered her face towards the waiting sex. Her nose hit a small, neat patch of blonde hairs first. Regina breathed in deeply, filling her senses with Emma's core. A damp warmth emanated from between the blonde's thighs as Regina breathed in and she couldn't wait any longer to taste Emma. A long tongue darted out and took a firm swipe of the drenched folds. Both women moaned at the sensation. Emma's hands moved to fist in long brown hair and Regina's fingernails dug deeper into Emma's hips as the essence of the younger woman exploded on her tongue.

Regina licked again, a longer, firmer line from the blonde's dripping entrance up through her folds to slide teasingly over the hooded nub at the top. Circling Emma's clit once, her tongue descended back down, tasting every inch of the quivering sex before her. Moans spilled from the blonde's lips, spurring Regina on as her tongue once again moved up, pressing harder onto the tight bundle before slipping down to Emma's entrance. Regina ran the tip of her tongue around the edge of the blonde's hole, relishing the stronger, richer taste she found there. Wanting more, she pushed the tip of her tongue inside, probing as far as she could as Emma canted her hips up at the feeling of the hot, slick muscle flickering inside her. Regina's arm wrapped around the blonde's waist, anchoring her more firmly to allow her to feast properly on Emma's pussy. Her tongue was still inside the tight channel and she wiggled the tip around, stroking the walls as her nose bumped gently against Emma's clit.

The younger woman cried out at the sensations. Never had someone made her feel so completely turned on in just a few minutes. Regina withdrew her tongue and slid it back up to Emma's clit. She used her arm to apply more pressure against Emma's hips as the blonde bucked uncontrollably into her touch. Once she was sure she wasn't going to be hit in the face by Emma's pubic bone, Regina moved her mouth back to place gentle kisses against the hidden pearl. Moving her spare arm away from the blonde's hip, Regina slid a finger through the copious wetness between Emma's folds before pushing the digit inside. The blonde's channel tensed at the intrusion before relaxing, enjoying the feeling of Regina's finger pushing slowly inside as her mouth moved to gently suck at her clit.

Emma tried to stop her hips jerking into Regina's face but the sensations were short circuiting her brain. Her clit felt like it was on fire, tighter and more sensitive than it had ever been. She moaned as Regina slipped a second finger inside her, stretching her entrance wider as she began to pump, hard. With her mouth still sealed around Emma's pearl, Regina used her tongue to lave the bud, circling it slowly before flicking the tip of her tongue over it a few times, followed by a soothing suck. The hands fisted in Regina's hair tightened and the brunette knew Emma was close to orgasm. She twisted her wrist and curled her fingers slightly, pressing harder on the spongy inner wall of Emma's channel.

A cry ripped from Emma's throat before she hastily stuffed her own fist in her mouth to quieten herself as the orgasm tore through her. Regina's mouth moved relentlessly over her clit, sucking and licking as the body beneath her trembled in pleasure. Emma's head rolled back in ecstasy as Regina's fingers pressed even deeper, the liquid building inside the blonde making them impossibly slick. Her hips spasmed twice more as her back arched and her orgasm crested. Emma slumped back against the chair, her chest heaving and slick with sweat. Regina stilled her fingers and her mouth, leaving one final soft kiss against Emma's clit before pulled away and wiping her mouth on the back of her hand. She carefully slipped her fingers free, groaning as she heard the squelching sound that was evidence of how wet the blonde was. Juices trickled out after her fingers onto the seat, not that either woman could see the small puddle in the dark. Regina brought her hand to her mouth, sucking the sweet, musky taste from her fingers before she climbed to her feet and sat beside Emma.

The blonde's head rolled towards Regina and she leant forward to connect their mouths in a languid kiss, moaning as she tasted herself on the plump lips of the older woman.

"That was incredible Regina," Emma breathed, resting her forehead against the brunette's.

"You're incredible, Emma," her lover replied, reaching up to stroke a flushed cheek.

Their mouths sought each other again and their lips and tongues moved slowly, waiting for Emma to get back her breath and some energy. Within a few minutes, the blonde reached over, pulling Regina closer and began pushing down her trousers. Standing quickly, Regina unlaced her shoes and slipped them and her socks off. She then pushed her pants down and stepped out of them. She left her panties on deliberately. Straddling the blonde as she had been earlier, Regina guided Emma's fingers to the top of her panties. The younger woman gasped as she felt lace beneath her fingertips.

"How did you get these sexy things in here?" Emma asked after her hands had thoroughly explored Regina's ass and discovered the older woman to be wearing a lace thong.

"The perks of being a drug dealer I suppose," Regina joked.

Emma slapped her ass playfully before squeezing it.

"Not funny," she growled as she pulled Regina's lips towards her. The brunette chuckled before she yelped as Emma bit down on her lower lip.

"Sorry," said Emma, not sounding sorry at all, before she slammed her mouth back against Regina's.

Emma's fingers quested southwards, stroking over Regina's shaved mound before cupping her hot core. Too impatient to wait for the brunette to remove the panties, Emma simply pulled the scrap of material barely covering the dripping sex to one side and slid eager fingers through the hot flesh beneath. Regina moaned into the kiss as Emma's fingers teased her opening, dipping inside momentarily before sliding though her folds to circle her swollen clit. Rubbing two fingers over the nub, Emma moved each finger either side and gently captured it between them, squeezing and releasing steadily.

"Oh my God!" Regina cried as Emma's fingers continued to stimulate her clit. Her whole body thrummed with the sensations the blonde was offering her and she rocked forward desperate for something inside her. She liked to be filled when she came. Understanding what Regina needed, Emma gave one, particularly harsh squeeze to the sensitive clit before sliding her fingers backwards, coating them liberally with Regina's wetness. Her other hand, previously resting on Regina's hip, came around to palm the flesh of a toned buttock as first one, then two fingers slipped into the hot wet heat of Regina's entrance.

"Fuck," Regina moaned. Emma's core clenched at the sound of the brunette swearing.

Her fingers pumped steadily, working their way deeper each time. Regina's head fell forward onto Emma's shoulder as her fingertip grazed a particularly sweet spot hidden deep inside her. Emma knew what she had found and aimed for the same place, a cry from Regina indicating she was successful. Grinning, Emma scissored her fingers a few times, trying to stretch the brunette's hole slightly before she added a third finger.

"Oh yes!" Regina cried. "That's amazing Emma!"

Emma grinned, previously unaware of how much she enjoyed a vocal lover. She stiffened her fingers and started to pump harder, the three digits slipping even deeper inside the brunette as she got slicker and looser. Angling her hand a little better, Emma was able to press her palm against Regina's neglected clit.

The walls of Regina's channel rippled and pulsated around Emma's three fingers buried deep within her as the brunette's mouth opened in a silent scream. Her body convulsed above Emma, her hips rolling forward, maintaining the contact between the blonde's palm and Regina's clit. The waves of pleasure crashed over the older woman as Emma stared up in awe, feeling the heat from the older woman and wishing she could see her face more clearly than the faint outline of her frame in the darkness.

Regina collapsed forward, her damp forehead finding Emma's shoulder. Heavy breathing tickled the blonde's neck as she gasped for air. Slowly, Emma slipped her fingers free from the now relaxed hole, She brought her arm around Regina's back and licked each digit clean, moaning at her first taste of the older woman. She couldn't wait to drink straight from the source.

Regina sat up, placed her hands on either side of Emma's face and brought their lips together in a sweet, loving kiss.

"That was incredible," Regina whispered as she pulled away.

"Ditto," Emma said, placing a soft kiss on Regina's nose. The brunette giggled. Emma wanted to hear that sound every day for the rest of her life. She pulled the older woman more firmly against her.

"We'd better get back," Regina sighed after a few minutes. She was curled up in Emma's lap, the blonde's strong arms wrapped around her.

"I know," Emma nodded. "But I don't want to leave." She tightened her grip around Regina's back.

"Tomorrow's Sunday, dear," Regina reminded her. "I think the vicar and the Christians would have a collective heart attack if they walked in in the morning and found us naked in each others arms."

Emma sighed and released the older woman who stepped gracefully away and reached around in the dark for their clothes.

It took a while to get dressed in the pitch blackness but soon their boots were properly laced up and they could no longer prolong the inevitable. Regina reached for Emma's hand, interweaving their fingers and pulled the blonde towards the door. By the light of the frosted window, they each checked the other was presentable before Regina pulled the door open and stuck her head out. The corridor was deserted.

"Wait two minutes and then follow me out," Regina whispered.

Emma nodded but wouldn't let go of the brunette's hand.

"Emma?" Regina asked. Without a word, the blonde pulled Regina back to her, melding their lips in the sweetest kiss of their budding relationship so far. The brunette almost melted as Emma's mouth moved perfectly against her own, the faint taste of her own sex heightening the experience. After a long minute, Emma broke the kiss, squeezed Regina's hand and nodded.

"Goodnight Regina."

"Goodnight Emma, I'll see you tomorrow."

It wasn't a question, it was a promise.


	14. Post-Coital Problems

Emma woke with a smile on her face on Sunday morning. The memories of the previous evening washing over her, quickly followed by a wave of nausea. Groaning, she leapt out of bed, grabbed her toothbrush and paste and headed for the bathroom.

As she knelt on the cold tile floor, her head bent over the bowl, she wondered how much longer she could keep her pregnancy a secret. Her flat stomach would doubtless start to swell in a few weeks, although her baggy inmate clothing would probably cover that for a while. But not from Regina. Emma smiled again at the thought of her lover before the smile faltered. What would Regina say when Emma told her she was pregnant? What would that mean for the tentative relationship they had started? When had her life become so complicated?

Emma walked back through the quiet corridors. It was barely seven am and, being a Sunday, most inmates were taking advantage of the chance to have a lie-in. As Emma entered her sleeping area, she glanced towards Regina's room. The bed in her line of vision, which belonged to an inmate Emma didn't know, was empty and neatly made. Looking furtively around, the blonde stepped up to the open doorway before moving inside towards the other bed.

Regina lay asleep, curled into a tight ball with the blanket wrapped around her body. She looked smaller than Emma had ever seen her, more vulnerable. Her long brown hair was splayed out over the pillow, contrasting brilliantly with the white fabric below. Her face was relaxed in sleep and the features looked younger, softer somehow. As Emma watched, the brunette's breath tickled a few hairs, fluttering them away from the stunning face before they settled against the sheets once more. Emma grinned wider as she watched Regina. Suddenly realising what she was doing may be considered creepy, the blonde turned to leave.

"What are you doing, Miss Swan?" came a sleepy voice from behind her.

Emma froze and turned around, a sheepish look on her face.

"Morning," she offered, smiling shyly at Regina.

"Were you watching me sleep?" the brunette asked, pushing herself upright and rubbing her hands over her face.

"No. Maybe. Yes. Sorry. I'll go," Emma said, turning to leave.

"Come here Emma," Regina laughed, shuffling sideways in her bed and patting the space next to her.

Emma glanced at the empty bunk before looking questioningly at Regina.

"Oh, McDouglas left on Friday. I guess a new inmate will be assigned that bed when they arrive tomorrow. But for now, I'm all alone," Regina smirked.

Emma grinned widely and practically jumped onto the bed, pulling Regina towards her and bringing their lips together. Mouths moved slowly, both enjoying the feel of the other woman again. Regina's tongue was welcoming into Emma's mouth where it explored, danced and stroked slowly through the warm wetness.

Pulling back, Regina smiled lazily at Emma, reaching down to tangle their fingers together.

"You taste minty," she commented, laying her head on Emma's shoulder.

Emma faltered, not wanting to tell Regina about the pregnancy or sickness yet. "Erm, yeah. I hate it when my teeth feel fuzzy after I wake up so I always brush my teeth first thing in the morning." It wasn't exactly a lie, Emma mused, she really did hate that feeling.

"What are you doing today?" Regina asked.

"I want to finish my book," Emma said, stroking her thumb over the brunette's palm. "Then I think Red and I are going to play basketball with some other girls. You?"

"I have nothing planned," Regina shrugged. "My days are remarkably empty now I don't have a business to run."

Emma laughed and leaned in to kiss Regina once more. When she pulled away, she looked into the brown eyes before her. Reflected back she saw warmth, passion, and desire. She shivered at the intensity of the gaze.

"You wanna have lunch with me?" Emma asked.

Regina giggled again. Emma's heart skipped. "Are you asking me out on a date Miss Swan?" the brunette teased.

"I guess, except it's a really shitty, unromantic date in which we'll have to eat bad food in a dining hall with about one hundred convicted criminals. I would do better if we were on the outside, I promise."

"I'll hold you to that," Regina said, squeezing Emma's hand, "but I don't think it's a good idea I'm afraid. I may not be a drug dealer any more but I am still the queen in here and I have a certain image to maintain."

"And I don't fit into that image?" Emma frowned, pulling her hand free from Regina's grasp.

"Hey, Emma, stop!" the brunette said as the younger woman made to climb off the bed. "It's not like that."

"Then what is it like?" the blonde asked, sitting back down.

"Look, Trident, Feinberg and Faery are all willing to protect me. For two years I've been on my own, with those three women and no one else. They wouldn't take too kindly to you suddenly joining our group."

Emma nodded slowly, understanding Regina's reasoning but still hurt by the rejection.

"Let me talk to them," the brunette assured.

"And say what? 'Hey guys, so I've started screwing the new chick and now we're all going to be besties'?"

Regina laughed again. "Not exactly but these women are loyal and they do as I say so there is no need to worry. They just don't like surprises so I'll speak to them first, leaving the details out of course. What about your friends?"

Emma snorted. The brunette raised her eyebrow at the unladylike action. "Yeah, I think they already know Regina."

"How?"

"The first time we kissed, I didn't realise your lipstick was all over my face and when I went back to the movie room, yeah they kinda put two and two together. I asked them not to spread it around and they agreed to keep it quite."

"Oh," Regina said, her cheeks pinking prettily as the memory flashed before her eyes. "Sorry," she said.

"I'm not," Emma shrugged. "It saves me the trouble of having to tell them now."

"Were they ok with it?"

"They told me to stay away from you because you were dangerous. Which I suppose they had a right to say because you had already punched me in the face at that point," she said glowering mockingly at the brunette who looked guiltily back, "but they trust my judgement and they know I really like you."

"Emma, about that punch …" Regina began but Emma silenced her with a firm kiss.

"No," she said as she pulled away. "Forget about it. It's the past. I've forgiven you so you need to forgive yourself, ok?"

Regina nodded mutely before she pulled Emma back in for a sweet kiss.

Lost in the sensations, Emma began to push Regina backwards, leaning down on top of her as her hands slid up the brunette's sides. Regina's fingers tangled once more in Emma's messy blonde hair, their tongues sliding more insistently over one another.

"Milton, can you grab my towel from the end of my bunk!"

The couple sprang apart at the sound of a voice from just outside Regina's room. Breathing heavily, the two women held their breath as footsteps approached, a thank you was said, and the forgetful inmate headed past the open doorway towards the bathroom. If the woman had glanced to her right, she would have seen Regina propped up on her elbows and Emma lying close beside her with her hand on the brunette's waist, both staring petrified at the doorway.

Regina let out a sigh of relief when the door to the corridor closed once more. "You'd better go," she said, quietly, giving Emma's shoulder a gentle push.

"Ashamed of me?" Emma teased as she clambered awkwardly off the bed and straightened out her clothes.

"Never," Regina assured, pulling the blonde back to her for a final kiss.

"Meet me later?" Emma asked as their lips broke apart.

"Six pm, dining hall. I'll have spoken to the girls by then."

Emma grinned, gave Regina a final peck on the cheek and walked out of the bunk and back to her own bed.

"That was so much fun!" Red exclaimed as she and Emma headed inside after playing basketball.

"Well of course you enjoyed it," Emma grumbled. "You don't even have to jump to make a basket your legs are so damn long!"

"Quit being a sore loser," Red laughed, nudging her friend. "And it really wasn't your fault, Swanny. You played well but your team sucked ass! I mean, had Arendelle ever watched a game of basketball before?"

Emma chucked. "Didn't seem like it. Anyway, our team playing badly just made you look better for French."

"You think she was watching me?" Red asked.

Emma laughed harder. "The whole time she was perched on that bench, she couldn't keep her eyes off you!"

Red grinned wolfishly at Emma's declaration, a renewed spring in her step as they walked back to their bunk to gather their wash things. They had both worked up quite a sweat in the hour they had spent playing outside and needed to shower before dinner.

"I'm just going to nip to commissary," Emma said, shaking her body wash bottle and discovering it to be empty.

"Sure, I'll see you later," Red smiled as she jogged off to the bathrooms, a goofy grin still plastered all over her face at the thought of her lover.

Emma walked in the opposite direction towards the commissary. Rose was dosing behind the screen as usual and it require Emma shouting her name three times to wake her up.

"Oh, hi Swan, sorry," the sleepy blonde said, yawning and rubbing her eyes with the heel of her palm.

"Do you not sleep well in here or something?" Emma asked, curious as to why the woman never seemed to be awake whilst at work.

"No, I'm an excellent sleeper," Rose shook her head. "I get at least eight hours a night. But my body always needs more and I've always been prone to napping in the daytime."

"Huh," Emma frowned. That was an excuse for lazy she hadn't heard before. "Erm ok, what scented body washes do you have?"

Rose pulled a few bottles from a back shelf and lined them up. "Apple, vanilla, cherry, coconut, and strawberry," she announced.

Emma smiled. Regina smelled like apples. No, that would be creepy, she decided. "Cherry please," she said, remembering a scene from Castle she particularly enjoyed.

Rose handed the bottle over and Emma headed off to the bathroom.

It always amazed Emma how quickly she adapted to her environment. When she arrived in FCI, she had hated showering in the too-big cubicle with the too-low water pressure and the too-public area in general. Now however, Emma was unfazed as she joined the short queue of her fellow basketball players and waited patiently until the lukewarm water finally splashed onto her skin. Washing and conditioning her hair thoroughly, Emma turned to lathering every inch of her body with her cherry scented gel. She smiled as the smell filled the cubicle, making her think of summers and cherry cheesecakes and fruit salads.

A bang on the door interrupted her moment of solitude and reflection. Realising she had been in the stall for longer than was polite when there was a queue of people, Emma shut off the water and dried herself quickly before wrapping her towel firmly around her body and stepping outside.

She gasped as she came face to face with Faery and Feinberg. The two women stared menacingly at the smaller blonde who glanced around the bathroom, panicked. It was deserted.

"What do you want?" Emma asked, standing up a little taller and staring back into the harsh faces before her.

"Just to give you a warning," Feinberg hissed. Her accent suggested she came from money, as did the way she carried herself. Faery too appeared well educated and respectable. Emma wondered what the two women did to end up in prison. Perhaps she could ask Regina … The blonde mentally shook herself, needing to focus on the current situation.

"Oh yeah?" Emma asked, folding her hands defensively over her chest. "And what warning is this?"

"Stay away from Mills," Faery growled.

Emma frowned. She thought Regina would have told the three women something by now as they were meeting for dinner in an hour but she hadn't expected them to appear before her and threaten her. Perhaps the brunette never said anything, Emma thought. She decided to play dumb.

"What do you mean?" she asked nonchalantly.

"This thing, whatever it is between you and Mills. It ends today. Stop pursuing her, stop talking to her. Stay away from her in every sense of the word." Feinberg snarled, her face inches from Emma's by the time she had finished.

"Understand?" Faery asked, flexing her fingers menacingly.

Nodding mutely, Emma stayed stock still, just inside the cubicle door, as she watched the two tall blondes stalk from the bathroom. When they had disappeared, Emma sank to the floor, wrapped her arms around her shins and placed her forehead on her knees. She tried not to cry but as the cherry smell wafted up from the drain, reminding the blonde of her upcoming 'date', Emma couldn't stop the tears from falling.


	15. First Date

Emma wiped her face, gathered up her sweaty clothes and walked hurriedly from the bathroom. As soon as she got to her bunk, she pulled on clean underwear, donned a fresh set of prison issue clothes and climbed into bed.

Red noticed Emma's puffy eyes but said nothing, watching her friend dart around her room until she settled under the covers.

"Swan?" Red said, tentatively.

"I'm fine," Emma replied, turning to face the wall.

"No you're not," Red said, standing and moving to sit beside Emma, running a hand lightly over her shoulder. She felt the blonde shake slightly beneath her palm.

Emma sniffed, trying not to cry harder. "No, I'm not," she agreed, "but I will be. I just need a bit of time."

"Is this something to do with Mills?" Red guessed. She wasn't stupid and she had seen the way the two women interacted. Something was going on between them and Red was beginning to grow more concerned.

Emma didn't reply, didn't move. That was enough for Red to know she was right.

"Can I do anything to help?" Red asked.

"No. Thanks though, Red," Emma said quietly.

"Anytime Swanny," Red said, squeezing Emma's shoulder gently as she got up and walked out of the bunk to meet French in the dining hall.

Emma heard Red leave and allowed her body to sag further into the thin mattress, shaking with sobs once more. She couldn't go to the dining hall now. She knew she should eat, for the baby's sake, but showing her face where Mills would be waiting for her could put the baby even more at risk if Faery and Feinberg decided to give Emma a beatdown for so much as looking at the brunette.

Emma wondered what had happened since her conversation with the brunette earlier. That morning Regina had said she would talk to her cronies, explain to them that they were not to hurt the blonde. At least that's what she said she would tell them. What if she changed her mind? About Emma. About their relationship. What if she told the three thugs Emma was pursuing her and she didn't want the attention? Maybe the women came to tell Emma to back off because that was what Regina really wanted.

No, Emma shook her head firmly. No one could fake the passion and emotion they shared the previous evening. There was no way Regina's feelings towards her were anything but genuine. Faery and Feinberg couldn't have been acting on the brunette's orders … Could they?

Tormented by her thoughts, Emma sat up and reached for The Great Gatsby before lying back down, hoping Fitzgerald could distract her from the mess of a life she found herself in. As she read, her hand drifted to lay protectively over her still flat stomach.

"Emma?"

The voice was softer, quieter than usual but Emma knew exactly who was stood in the doorway. Her body tensed as she lay, waiting for Regina to say something else.

The brunette frowned as she regarded the younger woman. Emma was lying on her bed, a book open in front of her and the blankets pulled tightly around. At the sound of her voice, the blonde had visibly jumped but hadn't yet turned over to look at her lover.

"Where were you?" Regina asked, moving further inside the room.

Silence.

"Emma? What's wrong?" the brunette pressed, moving to sit beside the woman still resolutely facing the wall.

As the bed dipped, Emma whipped her head around to stare, wide eyed at the woman now sat before her.

"What?" Regina asked panicked. "What happened? Why are you looking at me like that?"

Pushing herself up, Emma gathered here blanket around her, looking carefully at Regina.

"You don't know?" the blonde asked in a small voice.

"Know what?" Regina asked, her tone rising. "Honey, please, you're scaring me."

"Faery and Feinberg," Emma whispered.

Regina frowned. "What about them?"

"They found me in the bathroom, told me to stay away from you. Did you send them?"

Regina's eyes widened as Emma spoke. "You think … you think I asked those two idiots to tell you to stay away from me?" The blonde nodded. "I'm crazy about you, Emma," Regina said earnestly, reaching a hand out and placing it gently on the blonde's knee. "I told Faery, Feinberg and Trident at lunch that I would be eating dinner with you. I didn't tell them we were dating or together or whatever we are. But they read between the lines. They seemed fine with it, at least, they didn't say anything to me. Oh honey, I'm so sorry!" The hand on Emma's knee squeezed softly.

The blonde looked intently at the woman before her. Remorse had replaced the panic on Regina's face as she spoke. She appeared genuinely surprised at Emma's revelation and certainly sincere when she apologised.

Emma took a deep breath. "You really didn't send them?"

"No, Emma," Regina implored. "Please believe me, I would never do anything to hurt you."

Emma nodded, reaching up to covered Regina's hand with her own. "I'm sorry I suspected you. I find it hard to trust people"

Regina waved her hand, dismissing the apology as unnecessary as she turned her palm over and squeezed Emma's tightly in hers.

"So," Emma started. "What do we do now?"

"You mean about the fact that two of my cronies," Emma's beloved air quotes were back, "went behind my back, threatened you and disobeyed my order?" The blonde nodded. "Don't worry, you leave them to me but I promise you're safe ok. If they come near you again, please tell me."

"I will."

Regina smiled reassuringly, glanced towards the door and then leant towards Emma to place a chaste kiss on the blonde's lips.

"So, have you eaten?" Regina asked as she pulled away.

Emma shook her head just as her stomach rumbled audibly.

Regina chuckled. "Come on, I have a couple of instant noodle packets in my cabinet. We can use the kettle in the tv room and make some dinner. The food Athena served tonight was appalling anyway."

She stood and held out her hand. Emma took it without hesitation and the two of them walked out to the corridor. Reluctantly they released each other when they emerged into the main hallway but they walked side by side down to Regina's bunk. Emma waited as the brunette dug around in her cabinet, admiring the shapely ass which looked good even through the baggy beige uniform. Regina straightened up with two Pot Noodles in her hands and turned around, an eyebrow raised as she saw the slightly glazed over expression on Emma's face.

"See something you like Miss Swan?" she asked, wiggling her butt teasingly as she walked towards the blonde.

"Yes," Emma growled, reaching around and grasping both cheeks firmly.

Regina yelped and pushed Emma away, moving past her into the corridor. The blonde grinned and jogged after her.

The tv room was relatively busy. Sunday nights meant a new Once Upon a Time episode was airing and groups of inmates were sat, talking excitedly about the previous week's cliffhanger. Regina and Emma made their way to the back corner where a kettle, microwave, sink and a small collection of plastic utensils were kept for inmates to use whenever they wanted. Officer Nolan stood in the corner, watching them as Regina filled up the kettle and flicked it on to boil. She then leant against the counter, Emma moving to stand next to her as they waited for the water. Making sure their arms were hidden from Nolan, Regina moved her pinky finger to intertwine with Emma's, both women smiling at the secret, intimate touch.

When the kettle clicked off, Regina reluctantly let go of Emma's finger and turned back around. Peeling off the lids, she filled the pots with steaming water, stirred and re-covered them.

"Which one do you want?" she asked Emma, gesturing to the two flavours.

Emma squinted to read the labels through the darkness of the tv room. "Erm, sticky rib please."

Regina grinned widely at her.

"What?" Emma asked.

"Nothing, it's just Chinese chow mien is my favourite," she said, pointing to the other pot.

"Looks like we're a match made in heaven," Emma winked.

"Match made in prison," Regina laughed, reaching for two forks and handing Emma her meal. "Where do you want to eat?"

Emma looked around. The room was packed and a few inmates were looking curiously at the queen of the prison chatting and laughing so freely with a new inmate. "Not here," she said, nodding her head towards the door.

They walked out, Regina following just behind Emma as they headed down the corridor. The blonde thought quickly about where to take the older woman. The chapel was too dark. The laundry room would be locked. They weren't allowed outside. Making up her mind, Emma turned right and headed towards the infirmary.

Regina frowned as she saw the door ahead of them. "I know the food isn't top notch but I doubt you'll need medical assistance after you eat it."

Emma laughed before opening a door on her right and stepping back.

"The library?" Regina asked, surprised.

"Yep," Emma nodded, guiding the brunette gently through with her hand at the small of her back and closing the door behind them. "My friend French usually mans it but I spotted her in the tv room with Red so I figured it would be empty. Convicts aren't the biggest readers."

Regina smiled widely at Emma's plan. The blonde grinned back before dumping her noodles on a table and moving to pull two chairs from a stack by the wall. Placing them opposite each another, Emma pulled one out slightly and motioned for Regina's to sit down. Pleasantly surprised by the blonde's chivalry, Regina sat in the proffered chair as Emma slid it expertly underneath her. Hurrying around, the young woman sat in the chair opposite and pulled her food towards her.

Both women grinned at each other before tucking into their meals. Quickly realising noodles weren't the most attractive food to eat, Regina tried hard to not splatter the sauce down her chin as they swung from the flimsy plastic fork. When she looked up at Emma, she burst out laughing at the brown streaks on the younger woman's chin.

"It's not funny," Emma complained through a mouthful of noodles. "I tried to stop them."

Regina continued to chuckle as she pulled a clean tissue from her pocket and handed it wordlessly to the red faced blonde.

They chatted as they ate, mostly about books as they were surrounded by them. Regina loved to read too, crime novels specifically but she had finished all the relevant titles held in the prison library in the first year of her incarceration. She had tried to expand her interests to other genres but never found the storylines gripping enough.

"You have to read Gatsby though," Emma argued as Regina shook her head. "It's a classic! You saw the movie right?"

"I've been in FCI for two and a half years Emma," Regina reminded her. "I've not seen any film made before 2010."

"Then when I get out, I'll get the DVD and we'll watch it together."

Both women froze, the implication of the blonde's statement hanging in the air between them.

"It's a date," Regina said after a moment.

"Date?" Emma asked. "Are we dating?"

Regina looked pointedly around them. "What would you call this dear? Two people, food, conversation."

"Prisoners, pot noodle, conversation," Emma replied.

"So you don't want to date me?" Regina asked, feigning hurt.

"No, no!" the blonde said hurriedly. "I do, I definitely do. I just wish our first date wasn't quite so … pathetic."

"Well I admit it's not ideal." Regina reached out to take hold of Emma's hand. "But it's the company that matters and right now, I'm on the best date of my life."

Emma looked deep into the chocolate eyes before her and smiled. "Me too," she whispered.

The two women finished their food and discarded the pots in the trash. Finding themselves standing awkwardly by the door, Emma shifted from one foot to the other. Regina cocked her head at the blonde's sudden shyness. It was endearing. She moved forward, wrapped her arms around Emma's waist and looked up into the green eyes.

"Thank you for a wonderful date Emma, I had a great time," Regina murmured before she leant forward to place a soft kiss against Emma's mouth. As she pulled away, the blonde's lips followed her, reconnecting their mouths and slipping her tongue out to taste the older woman. Regina moaned into the kiss and fisted her hands in the material of Emma's top. As the blonde's hands slid up to cup her breasts, Regina pulled away more firmly, unwrapped her arms and stepped out of Emma's embrace.

Emma looked questioningly at the brunette. "Is everything ok?" she asked.

"Of course dear," Regina nodded. "I just don't go any further than a goodnight kiss on a first date."

Emma snorted and folded her arms, looking pointedly at the brunette.

"Last night was different," she argued. "We weren't dating then."

Emma chuckled and moved forward to slip her arms around Regina's waist, pulling the brunette towards her for a hug. "Your logic is flawed babe," Emma whispered in her ear, "but I'll abide by your rules … for tonight."

Pulling back, Emma moved to open the door, bowing deeply as Regina walked out. The queen of FCI laughed at the action and slapped the blonde playfully on the shoulder. Emma giggled and hurried to catch up with the brunette, walking together back to their respective bunks. Neither woman noticed a pair of grey-blue eyes watching intently as they lingered outside Regina's room. Emma's hand came briefly up to caress the brunette's cheek before the blonde turned and walked quickly to her own bunk.


	16. Triple Treason

"I've decided," Emma declared, sitting across from her counsellor on Monday afternoon. "I'm going to have the baby and give him or her up for adoption."

Booth nodded slowly, watching the young woman before him. She seemed so confident, assured in her speech but her body language told another story. Emma was hunched in on herself, her fingers fidgeting with the loose thread on the arm of the chair, and her eyes were a little wider than usual.

"You know you don't have to decide yet, Swan," Booth said, kindly. "You're still in your first trimester and there's plenty of time to think through your options."

"I don't have any options," Emma said, steely. "I have no family, I can't keep the baby whilst I'm inside. I have to give them their best chance and that means adoption."

"I understand your reasoning, but let's wait to confirm anything until after the ultrasound next Friday. I don't think you need to rush this and you need time to process the fact that you are pregnant. You only found out three days ago and you're probably still in shock."

"If you say so," Emma shrugged. "But I won't change my mind." The blonde stood up to leave.

"Do you want to talk about this Swan? The pregnancy in general I mean. It's a lot to take in and you're very young. I'm here so inmates can speak confidentially about their problems," Booth reminded kindly, worried that Emma was struggling with the enormity of her situation.

"No, I'm fine, thanks," Emma said shortly, turning to leave.

"If you won't talk to me, perhaps you can talk to one of your friends," Booth called at the blonde's retreating back.

Emma paused for a moment before exiting the room without another word.

Regina closed the door with a snap and turned around. Faery, Feinberg and Trident were sat opposite her, waiting patiently for their leader to speak. The brunette regarded the three women before her as she stalked over and stood in front of them. They had been a tight knit group for two and a half years. She had trusted the women more than anyone else inside, which wasn't saying much as Regina didn't truly trust anyone any more. They had done her bidding, were faithful and loyal, and Regina knew they thought they were acting in her best interests. But things had changed. Emma had changed them. And the three women needed to back off.

"Do you remember the conversation we had yesterday?" Regina asked. Three heads nodded. "So you remember when I told you I would be eating dinner with Swan?" More nodding. "Then perhaps you can explain to me why I found her hiding in her bunk, afraid to show her face in the dining hall last night," Regina growled, staring intently at her thugs.

Trident looked confused and glanced at the two blondes, both of whom wore unreadable expressions.

After a long pause, Faery spoke. "We ran into her in the bathroom Mills," she shrugged. "We told her to leave you alone."

"Why?" Regina exploded, her shout echoing around the small meeting room to which she had stolen the key.

"Because you deserve better than a skanky whore," Feinberg snapped back.

If looks could kill, the lanky blonde would have been burnt to a crisp as Regina levelled her gaze towards Feinberg.

"Who I spend time with is absolutely none of your business," she hissed, taking a step towards the women. "I have protected you and provided for you the entire time we have been inside. And now you have the gall to think you know what's best for me? If it weren't for me, your lives inside would have been miserable. Instead, I have made you rich, kept you safe, and supplied your ridiculous drug habit. During our conversation yesterday I never once implied I did not want to spend time with Swan. I never once asked you to threaten her. You went behind my back and claimed to be doing my bidding. How am I supposed to trust you now?"

Silence filled the room as the two blondes sat, still tall and stubbornly staring down their leader. Trident watched the whole conversation curiously, unaware her two friends had gone rogue.

Regina sighed and crossed her arms. "I no longer need you two, to be honest. The drugs are gone, I've made my money. The addicts have been placated. Why should I continue to offer you my protection?"

At that, Faery laughed and stood up. She had a good three inches on the brunette and stared menacingly down into her leader's face. "Your protection? Oh come on Mills. You know you need us more than we need you now." Regina frowned. "We're the muscle. You don't get your hands dirty and frankly, you couldn't protect yourself at all if someone started on you."

Regina scoffed. "Why would anyone start on me?"

"Well, let's find out shall we?" Faery said, turning to look at Feinberg. The platinum blonde got to her feet and the two marched from the room.

"What about you?" Regina asked, turning to Trident.

"Those two are idiots Mills," she shrugged, "but they're right. You've made a lot of enemies in here and without us, you're an easy target."

"Then I suppose you have a choice to make," Regina said, unfolding her arms and placing her hands on her hips.

"I'm sorry," Trident said after a pause. The black woman stood and walked out of the room. Regina watched her go, feelings of anger, vulnerability, and betrayal flickering through her mind.

"Did you talk to them?" Emma asked as Regina dumped her dinner tray unceremoniously on the table and slid into the seat opposite her.

"Yep," Regina said, shortly, looking around the almost deserted dining hall. No one was paying the two of them any attention but the brunette had been on edge ever since her three personal bodyguards walked out on her.

"And?" Emma asked, frowning at the brunette's attitude.

"They won't be bothering us any more," Regina declared, stabbing a carrot with more force than was necessary.

"Great!" Emma grinned. "What did you say to them?"

"I told them to back off. They did."

"What does that mean?"

"They no longer work for me, with me, whatever they did … They walked out," she said with a sigh, dropping her fork onto her plate and running her hands distractedly through her hair.

Emma looked at the woman before her. She looked smaller, more tired, less composed. "Is that a good thing or a bad thing?" she asked, confused.

"I'm not sure yet," Regina admitted, raising her head to look into the concerned green eyes before her.

"But they're going to stay away from us?" Emma asked.

"Yes," Regina nodded. "But I can no longer guarantee other people will not."

"What other people?"

"Two years as a drug lord makes you enemies, particularly in prison," Regina shrugged.

"Shit," Emma muttered.

"I'm sorry," Regina implored, moving her foot under the table to stroke up and down Emma's calf, not wanting to risk any more obvious physical contact. "I don't want to put you in danger."

"Are you in danger?" Emma asked, slightly panicked.

"Time will tell," Regina said, darkly. "But for now, I think we should keep our relationship quiet. I don't want to make you a target for anyone wanting to exact revenge on me."

"But I want to see you, spend time with you," Emma argued. "I can take care of myself. I lived on the streets for months and my nickname was 'Scrappy'."

Regina laughed at the pride in Emma's voice as she spoke.

"I want to spend time with you too Emma but we need to be careful ok?"

Emma nodded despondently.

"Look, give it a few days and I should know the lay of the land. Do you want to meet on Saturday night again? Most inmates will be watching the movie so we shouldn't draw too much attention."

"I feel like your dirty little secret," Emma remarked.

"Oh no Emma," Regina pleaded. "Please don't say that honey. If I could, I would shout it from the rooftops but I can't risk it. Anyone who may be vying for my blood could use my feeling for you again me and I can't take that risk."

"I know," Emma nodded. "But it still sucks."

"Yes," Regina. "It definitely does suck."

Emma giggled at the way the word sounded coming from Regina's mouth.

"So," Regina asked, relaxing a little as Emma laughed. "Saturday?"

"It's a date," Emma grinned.

"Our second date," Regina mused.

"Technically it would be our third."

"How do you mean?" Regina asked.

"Well, I'd say what we were doing right now - talking, eating - was pretty date-like."

"You just want it to be our fifth date already," Regina laughed.

"Why?" Emma cocked her head. "What happens on the fifth date?"

"I don't put out until I've been treated to at least five meals or events," Regina smirked.

"Seriously?" Emma gawped. "After what happened on Saturday, you're still insisting that I court you before I get into your pants, again?"

"Yep," Regina grinned. "And the date had better be good Miss Swan. You should start planning now."

With that, the brunette stood and took her empty tray to the dirty dish station, leaving the blonde to frown at her now cold food, trying to work out how on earth she was going to organise a date in a prison.

"So you're officially dating the queen?" Red asked incredulously.

"Yep," Emma grinned proudly. The two of them were sat on Emma's bed on Friday evening and the blonde had finally confided in her bunkmate after realising she needed some help.

"I thought you had a boyfriend before you ended up in here," Red frowned.

"I did," Emma nodded, "but I guess I don't care about gender when it comes to who I am attracted to."

"Fair enough," Red smiled. "Are you happy?"

Emma's goofy grin should have been enough for her bunkmate but she needed to hear the blonde say it. "Yes," Emma said, her eyes slightly glazing over as she thought of the brunette.

"Eurgh, you're so sappy!" Red laughed, nudging the blonde teasingly. "So what do you need my help with?"

"I have to plan a date by tomorrow evening and I've got no ideas!" Emma explained. She had spent all week wracking her brains trying to think of something to do with Regina and had come up empty.

"A date in prison," Red mused. "Well, you're pretty limited but you could take her to the movies. They screen one every Saturday night."

Emma shook her head. "We're trying to keep this quiet at the moment. You're the only person I've told and Regina only spoke to Trident, Faery, and Feinberg."

"Those three know?" Red asked, eyes wide.

"Yes," Emma confirmed. "It's a long story but Regina had to tell them. Anyway, we need to come up with an idea for tomorrow where we can be alone. The movie is kinda our cover as most inmates will be there and not snooping around the rest of the block."

"Hmmm," Red thought, tapping her chin. "Well you can't go outside and have a romantic stroll in the moonlight. Are there any rooms you can get into?"

"Most are locked or dark. Turning the lights on would draw guards' attention."

"You can have some fun in the dark," Red grinned, winking at Emma.

The blonde laughed but shook her head. "Regina claims she won't do anything more than kiss until the fifth date."

Red threw her head back in laughter. "Well done Swanny, how did you manage to get the only prude lesbian in prison?"

"Well I wouldn't exactly say that," Emma smirked.

Red stopped laughing immediately and shuffled forward on the bed. "Tell me everything."

Emma shook her head and mimed locking her mouth with a key. "Nope, now help me plan this date please or else I'll never get back in her pants."


	17. Thoughtful Creativity

Regina smiled as she read the note she had found resting on her pillow. Emma's handwriting was far neater than the brunette would have imagined and the swirling letters made her heart clench in anticipation.

R

Meet me outside the laundry room at 8pm tonight.

Skip dinner.

E x

Folding the note up, Regina placed it in her pocket and headed for lunch.

"Mills?"

Regina turned around at the sound of her name and stopped walking, waiting for Officer Hunter to catch up with her.

"Yes?" she asked as he drew level to her.

"There's someone waiting to see you in visitation."

Regina frowned. "But I never get visitors, and I wasn't notified anyone was scheduled to meet me. Who is it?"

"They turned up this morning without an appointment but she somehow talked her way in. Are you coming?"

"Who is here to see me?" Regina repeated.

"I don't know," Hunter shrugged. "Nolan just told me to come and get you but he didn't give me the visitor's name."

Confused, Regina followed the guard back down the corridor towards the visitation area. She had been to this end of the prison only a few times. When she was first starting up her drug dealing business, it had been necessary to meet a couple of her old contacts in person because all the internal phone conversations were recorded. Since then however, she had never received notice that someone was due to visit her.

As they approached the door leading through to the visitation room, Regina peered past Hunter, trying to spot someone she recognised. There were lots of inmates sat opposite family and friends, talking animatedly and enjoying one another's company. After a few seconds, the brunette spotted someone sat alone at a table. Her back was to Regina but she would know that hairstyle and posture anywhere.

"No," she exclaimed, stopping dead.

Hunter turned around. "What do you mean, no?"

"I'm not going in there. I'm not talking to her," she said before turning and hurrying away down the corridor.

Hunter frowned at Regina's retreating back before shrugging and continuing up to the visitation area.

"Hey Nolan. Mills wouldn't come inside. I think she saw who was visiting as she literally ran in the opposite direction."

"OK," the blonde guard sighed, getting up to tell Mills' visitor she'd had a wasted trip.

"Who is it, anyway?" Hunter asked, glancing at the list on the desk.

"Cora Mills," Nolan said. "The inmate's mother."

Emma tucked the last corner in place and stood back, admiring her work. Satisfied with the layout, she smiled and put away the unused supplies before turning out the light and leaving the room. Hurrying back to her bunk, she checked Regina was nowhere to be seen before pulling what she needed out of her cabinet.

"Everything ready?" Red asked from behind her, making Emma jump.

"Jeez, you scared me!" Emma said, standing up and placing the last of the things on the bed. "But yes, I managed to get hold of everything, even glasses."

"How?" Red asked, picking up the champagne flutes and admiring them.

"I have mad skills," the blonde joked.

"Seriously though," Red said.

"Let's just say I have some abilities I was able to swap for what I needed."

"That makes it sounds like your prostituted yourself for glassware," Red remarked.

"And food," Emma added. "But I didn't, not sexually anyway."

Red laughed. "Well I'm very impressed Swanny. You've really pulled out all the stops for this one. Mills is a lucky girl. You think when you're done wooing her you can help me plan something like this for Belle?"

"Sure," Emma grinned. "You came up with the idea for this one anyway."

"It was a joke though," Red pointed out. "I never thought you were actually going to pull it off!"

"What can I say, I'm a woman of many talents," Emma laughed. "Are you free now to help me take all this stuff down?"

"Of course," Red smiled picking up a couple of items and slipping them under her prison issue top so no guard would get suspicious as they walked through the corridor.

Regina arrived five minutes past 8 o'clock, wanting to be fashionably late. The corridor was deserted and the laundry room appeared in darkness. As it would be, Regina mused, since it was locked up for the weekend. She glanced around, wondering why Emma had told her to meet in such a strange place. The brunette spun around in surprise as she heard the door behind her open.

A gasp escaped Emma as she raked her eyes over the older woman. Regina had styled her hair, coiling it into an elaborate up-do, twisted tendrils falling gracefully around her face. Her eye makeup was a little more defined than usual and her lips were adorned with immaculate lipstick. She was still wearing her prison issue clothes but Emma thought the woman had never looked more beautiful.

"Wow Regina," Emma grinned stepping out into the corridor and placing a tender kiss to the red lips. "You look beautiful."

"Thank you, dear," Regina smiled. "So do you."

Emma's long blonde hair had been pulled into a complicated looking plait, her lips shining with gloss and her light eyelashes covered with a small amount of mascara.

"You ready for our third date?" the blonde asked, winking at Regina.

The brunette laughed, rolled her eyes and nodded. Emma grinned and took hold of the brunette's hand. With one more glance up and down the still empty corridor, Emma closed the door quietly behind them.

"I thought you weren't a fan of meeting in dark places?" Regina questioned as the door shut and the laundry room was encompassed in gloom.

"Patience babe," Emma sing songed, taking hold of Regina's hand once more and leading her off through the room, past the industrial machines and into the back area where the linen was stored.

Regina gasped as they rounded the corner. In front of her was a makeshift room, white sheets hanging from the shelves and covering the top to create a sort of tent, a secret, intimate area. Two sheets were parted, forming a doorway in which the two women were now stood. A table was covered in a white cloth too, with a small candle flickering warmly in the middle, casting a soft light over the room. Two chairs were positioned on either side of the table and as Regina stared, open mouthed at the romantic place her date had created for them, Emma moved forward and pulled out one of the chairs, indicating the brunette should sit down.

Regina couldn't think of the words to sum up what she was feeling at that moment so she simply walked inside, took the seat, and shivered in delight as Emma placed a soft kiss to her neck.

"I'll be right back," she whispered before darting out of the opening in the sheets and disappearing into the dark room beyond. Regina looked around her, admiring the effort the blonde must have gone to in order to create this cocoon. Picking up the candle from the table, Regina marvelled at the blonde's ability to source contraband after less than six weeks inside.

Emma reappeared quickly, carrying two champagne flutes filled with a light yellow liquid.

"Before you get excited," Emma said as soon as she entered, "it's not wine. But it is grape juice which was as close as I could get." She handed the glass to Regina and smiled apologetically.

"This is amazing, Emma, thank you," Regina smiled, raising her flute to toast the other woman before taking a sip of the drink. Whilst she admitted she had got her hopes up when she saw the glasses, the grape juice was still a refreshing change from the apple and orange they usually served in the dining hall.

Emma drank a little too before placing her glass down in front of her seat. "OK, I'll go and get the food."

Regina smiled as the blonde scuttled off, wondering how on earth Emma had managed to get two meals down here undetected. The younger woman appeared seconds later, two plates in her hands. Setting one down in front of Regina and the other in front of the empty chair Emma slid into her seat before looking up at the brunette.

Regina's mouth was open in awe as she looked at the dish before her. "How did you know?" she asked in a whisper.

"How did I know that salmon was your favourite fish and new potatoes with butter and chives, peas, and dill sauce were your favourite sides? Lucky guess," Emma grinned, relief washing over her as the information she had been told was confirmed to be true.

Regina laughed again before reaching out and clasping Emma's hand which lay on the table. "Really Emma," she said, "this is all amazing."

"Only the best for the queen," Emma joked, gesturing for Regina to pick up her cutlery.

Regina moaned as the taste of the food exploded in her mouth. It had been two and a half long years since she had eaten something this good. She chewed carefully before swallowing and diving in for another bite. Emma watched with glee as her date enjoyed the meal.

"This food is fantastic Emma," Regina said before sipping her juice. "How did you make this?"

Emma blushed slightly but the weak candlelight covered it up. "If I'm being totally truthful, I didn't." Regina cocked her head, encouraging the blonde to continue. "I knew I couldn't be seen cooking myself so I went to Athena. I know she sucks at most things in here but Red had told me she's good at cooking fish. And it just so happened that when I approached Athena about this, she remembered your favourite meal before you were inside. It seems she's still trying to get into your good books."

Regina smiled slightly. "So the person responsible for putting me inside is also partly behind one of the best evenings of my prison stay," she mused.

"I didn't want to involve her," Emma admitted. "But I really didn't have a choice. I can't cook for shit and I didn't think food poisoning was very romantic."

Regina laughed and took another bite. "Your initiative is impressive, dear. How did you get into the laundry room anyway? Isn't it locked at the weekend?"

"Now that was all me!" Emma said proudly. "I was quite the expert at picking locks when I was enjoying my life as a petty criminal. A skill that proved useful when it came to finding a venue for us to meet."

Regina laughed. "Do you think the guards should be worried if the locks in here are that easy to pick?"

"I think they figured there was no reason for anyone to get into the laundry room out of hours. I mean, who above the age of eight would think to make a tent out of sheets?"

"Well it's the best idea you've ever had Emma, and this is the best prison date I've ever had."

Emma smiled brilliantly at the compliment and the two women continued to eat.

"So, I saw you heading up to visitation earlier. Did someone come and see you?" Emma asked.

When there was no immediate response, Emma looked up and was shocked to see a steely look on Regina's face.

"Hey," Emma said hurriedly, "I'm sorry. You don't have to answer that. I didn't mean to pry." She reached out a hand and squeezed one of Regina's, frozen on the table. The touch seemed to bring the brunette back to her.

"Sorry," she said, giving herself a little shake. "I didn't mean to be rude. I … It's … Look, can we talk about it another day. I don't want to ruin this perfect evening you've created for us and I fear this conversation topic would do exactly that."

"Of course," Emma nodded, taking another bite of her food as she scanned her brain for a neutral question. "So, what's the weirdest place you've ever had sex?"

They finished their meals exchanging funny stories and facts about their past, both women conscious of not mentioning visitation nor family. As Regina dabbed her lips, somehow still perfectly red, with a napkin, Emma stood and took away their plates. Returning, she held her hands behind her back and moved to stand next to Regina.

"Which hand?" she asked.

"Pardon?" Regina questioned, eyebrow raised.

"Pick a hand," Emma repeated.

"Erm, ok, right."

"My right or your right?" Emma teased.

"Your right," Regina giggled.

Emma smiled and revealed her right hand. Sat in her palm was a cupcake. She had bought them from the commissary that afternoon as Athena had been unable to make a dessert as well. Placing the cake in front of Regina, the blonde sat down and placed an identical cake before herself.

Regina laughed again. "What was the point in that?"

Emma shrugged before taking a rather large bite of the cake and then choking slightly on her mouthful as a crumb went down her windpipe. Regina laughed harder as Emma thumped herself on the chest, glowering at the brunette with watery eyes.

They finished the cakes and Emma stood up, holding out her hand and pulling Regina to her feet. Leading the brunette away from the table, Emma gestured to a pile of cushions on the floor Regina had previously not noticed. An eyebrow arched again as she looked at the pillows and then back at the blonde.

"I thought I said you had to take me on five dates, Miss Swan," Regina reminded her.

"You did," Emma nodded, "but there was no mention of not being allowed to have a heavy make out session to conclude date three."

Regina laughed at the blonde's obvious wink which followed the statement before moving to sit gracefully on the cushions. Emma appeared next to her in a flash, leaning forward and caressing one finger down Regina's cheek.

"You look so beautiful tonight Regina," Emma whispered, her face inches from the brunette's.

"Thank you Emma," Regina smiled, moving her hand to cover the palm now resting against her skin. "And thank you for tonight. It was spectacular."

"It's not over yet," Emma smiled before she moved forward and pressed her lips firmly against Regina's.

Their mouths moved slowly, enjoying the increasingly familiar feeling. Emma parted her lips, sucking Regina's lower lip between her own and grazing the plump flesh with her teeth. Regina's arms wrapped around Emma's neck, pulling the blonde down so she was lying half on top of the older woman as Regina relaxed into the soft cushions below her. Emma slid her hands slowly down Regina's body, determined not to let her desire overcome her and kept her fingers above the material and away from the waistband. She nevertheless enjoyed the feel of the other woman's soft curves beneath her, feeling her body rock slightly into the touch as their lips and tongues continued to explore one another.

After about half an hour, they broke apart, breathing heavily. Emma's cheeks were flushed and her hair had escaped from her plait long ago. Regina's carefully styled hair was also a little ragged, her lips now their natural pink colour and the remnants of her lipstick smudged around her own mouth and Emma's.

"We'd better head back," Emma breathed reluctantly, making no effort to move from her position on top of the brunette.

"I don't want to leave," Regina whispered, running her fingers through Emma's tangled hair before bringing them to her lover's lips and wiping the traces of her lipstick away.

"Me neither," Emma admitted, "but the movie will be finishing soon and you were the one who wanted to keep this, us, quiet."

Regina sighed and nodded, immediately missing the weight of the blonde as she clambered off her and extended a chivalrous hand.

They carefully untied the sheets and folded them back up together, placed the chairs and table in the corner for Emma to move the next day, and slipped the dirty plates and glassware into a bag which Emma was to drop off with Athena. Blowing out the candle and stashing it behind a pile of rarely used linen, Emma turned back to her date and took her hand. They walked to the doorway and paused, both making sure the other looked respectable before they stepped outside. As Emma moved to leave, Regina pulled her back.

Emma gasped as her back hit the wall, Regina's mouth pressed hard against hers and her lithe tongue slipping straight into her mouth to battle and dance with her own. Regina ground her hips forcefully against the blonde, the moans swallowed by eager lips as Emma's fingernails dug into Regina's waist, pulling the brunette even closer.

They broke apart, breathing heavily again.

"Thank you for a wonderful date, Emma," Regina said, placing one final soft kiss to Emma's slightly swollen lips.

The two women stepped reluctantly into the corridor, no longer able to pretend they weren't in prison. As they moved back into the main block, Emma lingered at a corner, allowing Regina to walk ahead as inmates began filtering out of the movie room. The blonde watched the older woman walk away, smiling brilliantly as Regina glanced once over her shoulder and their eyes met for a final time.


	18. West's Investigation

"Thanks again, Athena. I'll get onto the search as soon as I can," Emma said as she left the bathroom the following Monday. The redhead smiled, her hopes restored as the younger woman walked away.

Turning back to the sink, she continued to brush her hair before setting about plaiting it, her mind wandering to her lost love as she did so.

"Morning Athena," came a British accent from behind her.

Glancing in the mirror, Athena's eyebrows raised as she saw West stood there.

"Hi West," she said, cautiously. "How are you?"

"I'm just fine thank you, although I do have a query I think you may be able to answer."

Turning around, Athena leaned on the counter and folded her arms. "Yes?"

"My sister and the Swan girl," West started. "I've seen them together a lot recently. Is something going on?"

"Why would I know," Athena replied shortly. Swan had specifically asked her to keep their budding romance quiet and the redhead was not going to risk angering the brunette even more than she already had.

"Because you were just speaking to Swan about a meal you cooked for her on Saturday night and I happen to know how fond my sister is of salmon."

"Leave me out of your feud please West," Athena said, turning back to the mirror and hoping that would end the conversation.

"Thank you," West smiled, her grey-blue eyes meeting her fellow redhead's in the reflection, "that's all I needed to know."

With that, West headed triumphantly out of the bathroom, leaving Athena to wonder whether she should tell Swan what had just happened.

"I still maintain the killer was painfully obvious last night," Emma argued as Boyd helped her pull the sheets from the drier.

"Yes but that episode really wasn't about the case was it," Boyd countered. "The writers were setting up for whatever career path Beckett is going to choose for the next season. We had the demonstration of corrupt politics and how more morally sound politicians are needed, and Beckett put in for her captain's exam."

"Which route do you think the show will take?" Emma asked, pushing the linen basket to the table where they began folding the load.

"Well, the show would change dramatically if she became a politician and I don't think that's what viewers want. But then they had that weird guy from the future last season who talked about Senator Beckett so perhaps that's what will happen when Castle finally finishes."

"Oh God, don't talk about shows finishing!" Emma laughed.

"I know right," Boyd said. "It's amazing how invested in tv we can get!"

The two girls worked side by side all morning, chatting and laughing as they did so.

"I'm just nipping to the bathroom," Boyd said. Emma nodded absentmindedly and continued sorting through their current load.

The door to the laundry re-opened a minute later.

"That was quick," Emma remarked without turning around.

"What can I say, I have my ways."

Emma whipped around at the sound of the voice. Her eyes widened as she looked at West but more so because of who stood behind her.

"You've switched sides rather dramatically," Emma commented, folding her arms and standing a little straighter.

Feinberg laughed. "We don't work with pathetic losers," she sneered.

"Right," nodded Emma. "Or you just hire yourself out to the highest bidder. It's basically prostitution if you think about it."

Faery snarled and Trident balled her hands into fists. West held up a placating hand however, before turning her attention back to Emma.

"I wanted to have a little chat with you Swan," she said in a sickly sweet voice. "My friends here just so happened to come along too."

"Chat about what?" Emma asked.

"My sister," West said simply.

"Half sister," Emma corrected, fear rising inside her at the realisation that the three women behind the redhead must have told West about their relationship.

"Whatever," West said, waving her hand. "I came to warn you actually."

Emma laughed. "Oh yes? Please do tell me what I should be afraid of."

"People who are close to my sister never last long," West said. "I'd get out now if you want to live to see your freedom restored."

"Is that a threat?" Emma asked.

"Oh no dear," West implored. "Just consider it friendly advice."

"Swanny," came Boyd's voice from the doorway. "Did you remember to ask admin to order more washing powder?"

"Well, it was lovely chatting with you, Swanny," West said, a fake smile plastered all over her face. "See you around."

The redhead turned and walked away, her three new bodyguards trotting after her. Boyd stared wide eyed as the quartet passed her. She waited until the laundry room door had clicked shut behind them before she rushed to stand in front of Emma who was still leaning against the counter, staring after the women.

"What the hell was all that about?" she asked, worry etched in her features as she regarded her friend.

"I'm not sure," Emma said, before turning back to continue her work, unwilling to dwell any longer on what West had said.

"So you know all that stuff about Faery, Feinberg and Trident being loyal?" Emma asked, leaning against the archway to Regina's room.

"Yes," the brunette frowned looking up from The Great Gatsby. Emma had insisted the brunette read it after she had finished and the brunette had found it pointedly placed on her pillow the day before. She had so far refused to admit how much she was enjoying it.

"Turns out they're not," Emma declared, walking into the room and sitting down on Regina's bed.

Regina raised her eyebrow at the action and glanced towards her new bunkmate who was sat opposite her.

"I don't think keeping us quiet matters any more," Emma said. When Regina frowned, the blonde elaborated. "West came to see me at work today. With your former cronies standing shoulder to shoulder behind her." Regina's mouth fell open. "Yeah," Emma nodded. "My reaction exactly."

"What did she want?" Regina asked.

"To tell me to stay away from you if I wanted to get out of prison alive," Emma shrugged.

A panicked look flashed across Regina's face.

"Oh come on," Emma said, resting a hand soothingly against the brunette's arm. "It was an empty threat."

"I don't think it was Emma," Regina said, her voice tinged with worry. "Do you know what my half-sister is inside for?" The blonde shook her head. "Man Two."

Emma's eyes widened. "She killed someone?"

"Yes," Regina confirmed.

"Why isn't she in a maximum security prison then?" Emma asked. "I thought FCI was for non-violent offenders."

"She had a damn good lawyer who somehow managed to convince a bone headed jury she had been committing a misdemeanour that unfortunately resulted in a man's death so she was only tried on that crime, not felony murder."

"What misdemeanour?" Emma asked.

"Discharging a firearm."

"She shot someone?"

"Yes," Regina nodded. "And the lawyer argued successfully West didn't know her ex boyfriend was about to walk into the alley where she was firing her gun and therefore it was an accident when a bullet just so happened to hit him right between the eyes."

"Shit," Emma murmured.

Regina's hand moved to squeeze Emma's. "She can't hurt you in here though Emma."

"Can't she?" Emma asked. "You had West beaten up using those three thugs. Sorry," she added at the look of hurt on Regina's face. "But what's to stop your killer half sister from doing the same thing?"

"What kind of place is this?" came a timid voice from the other side of the room. Both Emma and Regina jumped, having forgotten the new bunkmate was even there.

"Sorry," Emma offered weakly. "It's not as bad as it sounds."

"Elsa?" came a familiar voice from the door.

"Anna!" the blonde on the other bed exclaimed as she jumped to her feet and ran into the corridor.

Curious, Emma and Regina followed the brunette's new bunkmate.

The woman apparently called Elsa was wrapped in a tight embrace with someone Emma quickly recognised as Arendelle. She had seen the overly talkative girl around several times and even had lunch with her on occasion.

"Erm, you guys know each other?" Emma asked as the girls broke apart.

"Elsa is my sister," Arendelle explained.

"Hi," the blonde smiled, an arm wrapped firmly around the shorter girl's waist.

"I thought you'd been sentenced to serve your time up north?" Arendelle said, looking confusedly at her sister.

"Overcrowding or something. I got transferred down to FCI last night. I looked for you at breakfast but I couldn't see you anywhere."

"I was with Kristoff, I mean, Counsellor Bjorgman," Arendelle corrected quickly.

Elsa raised her eyebrows but didn't pry. "You wanna get dinner now?" she asked.

The two sisters left arm in arm, chatting animatedly as they did so.

"Aw, that was cute," Emma remarked.

"Indeed," Regina nodded. "If only all incarcerated sisters got on so spectacularly."

"Right, forgot about your psycho family," Emma teased.

"You don't know the half of it!" Regina said, darkly. "But can we forget about them and go and have dinner too. If West knows, there's no point hiding us any more."

"Can this be our fourth date?" Emma asked, waggling her eyebrows.

"No," Regina declared. Emma's face fell before the brunette added, "because I already have something planned for us on Friday night!"

Emma's radiant smile lit up her face and Regina laughed as the two women headed towards the dining hall together.

Emma hadn't had any more run ins with West and her new cronies all week but was feeling nervous nonetheless as she sat outside Dr Fisher's room once more. Booth was beside her as usual, his hands resting calming in his lap whilst Emma's fidgeted with her pants fastening, coiling and uncoiling the string around her finger.

"Good afternoon, Swan. Are you ready?" came Fisher's calm voice from the doorway.

Emma nodded, took a deep breath and walked inside. The doctor smiled at the blonde as she took her usual seat.

"Actually I'm going to need you to pop up onto the examination table today Miss Swan, if you don't mind." Fisher said, gesturing to the bed-like contraption in the middle of the room.

Emma nodded mutely and stood up. Hopping onto the table, she reclined against the raised back and waited, anxiously tapping her fingers against her thighs. Booth sat in the chair beside the doctor's desk and smiled encouragingly at Emma as she looked around her nervously.

"Ok," said Fisher as she turned from the cabinet on the wall back to look at Emma. "So today we're going to do your first ultrasound and I should be able to get a picture of the baby. How have you been feeling the past couple of weeks?" she asked as she pulled a machine towards her and unhooked the probe she needed.

"I've been much better," Emma nodded. "Not so much morning sickness so I think the tablets are helping."

"Good," Fisher smiled. "Have you noticed any changes in your appetite or a heightened sense of smell?"

"Not yet," Emma shook her head.

"Ok, you can expect your body to become more sensitive to these things in the next couple of weeks. If you can just pull your top up a little now so I can get to your stomach please."

Emma took hold of the hem of her top and pulled it up, tucking it beneath her bra before settling back down. Her abdomen was still flat and toned, with no sign of the small life growing beneath the pale skin.

"This is going to be a little cold," Fisher warned as she squeezed some gel onto Emma's stomach. Using the probe, she spread the jelly-like like liquid around before rubbing the machine more firmly against the central area of her abdomen.

Emma held her breath as Fisher turned her attention to the screen beside her. Trying not to panic, the blonde balled her hands into fists as she felt the probe move easily over her now slick skin. She was about to see her baby for the first time. Suddenly it all seemed like too much for her and she turned her face away from the screen, staring resolutely at a spot just to the left of Booth's head. The man himself was looking at the ultrasound image.

"Ah ha!" the doctor announced triumphantly. "I've found it, would you like to see?" she asked as she turned back to see the blonde facing away from her.

Emma shook her head.

"Are you sure Swan?" Booth asked, standing up and walking over to be beside the blonde. Tears were forming in her eyes as she lay there, willing herself not to turn and look at her unborn child.

"I can't," she whispered, her bottom lip trembling.

"You might regret it," Fisher offered as she reached for the headphones so Emma wouldn't have to hear the baby's heartbeat. Another shake of the head and the doctor nodded sadly, turning away to finish the necessary checks of the baby's health as Booth crouched down so he was eye level with the petrified young woman.

"Swan," he started kindly. "You don't have to make any rash decisions, remember. Maybe seeing your baby will help you decide what you want to do?"

"I already told you," Emma said, quietly. "I don't have a choice. I have to give this baby up for adoption and I don't want to make it harder than it has to be by getting attached to someone I'm never going to truly meet."

"OK," Booth nodded, reaching out to squeeze Emma's arm as he stood up.

Fisher finished her checks and began wiping the gel off Emma's stomach. As soon as the blonde was clean, Doctor Fisher untucked her top and patted her leg gently, indicating she could get up. Emma hopped off the examination table as if it was burning her. She moved immediately to the door before pausing and turning back.

"Is there anything else?" Emma asked, her hand poised over the handle.

"No, everything looks great," Fisher smiled kindly, "but I'd like to see you again in two weeks please."

Emma nodded and disappeared from the room.

"Do you have a picture?" Booth asked.

"Yes," replied Fisher. "Do you want to keep a copy?"

The bearded man nodded. "I get the feeling she might regret never seeing it at some point in the future. I'll put it in her file and then, if she does change her mind, I can show it to her."

"You're a good man, August," the doctor said as she slid the grainy black and white picture over to him.

Booth picked it up and squinted. "Sorry, what am I meant to be looking at?"

Fisher laughed and pointed to a paler area. "Here," she smiled. "This is his head, and his legs, and that's an arm there."

"His?" Booth asked. "It's a boy?"

"It's difficult to tell this early on, but I think so," Fisher smiled. "I'll know more conclusively when she has her 20 week scan next month."

"Do you think she'll show any emotion towards this baby Doc?" Booth asked, pocketing the photo.

"I think her reaction today shows she is already far more emotionally invested in this baby than she wants to believe."


	19. Telling Someone

Emma exhaled heavily and leant back against the wall, strands of her loose blonde hair tangling in the rough brick surface. She rubbed her hands over her face, trying to clear her head, and looked out over the sunny prison yard. This was all getting too much. It wan't enough that she was stuck in jail thanks to her ex boyfriend but now she had to deal with carrying his child too? A child she didn't even have the strength to look at, to come face to face with. Emma knew she would have to acknowledge the pregnancy sooner or later, not least when her stomach started to swell, but she wasn't ready yet. How could she be when she was never going to be the baby's mother? Even if she wasn't in prison, would she be capable of providing for a child? It wasn't like she had a good role model growing up: more like several bad ones. Emma couldn't be a mother. She couldn't care for a child, another human completely dependent on her. This baby was going to be adopted and have a wonderful life. Without her.

"Swan?" came a gentle voice.

Emma opened her eyes and looked into the concerned face of her friend stood beside her.

"Oh, Snow, hey," she greeted, with a weak smile.

"What's wrong?" the pixie brunette asked as she watched the blonde carefully. Emma was still slumped against the wall, looking tired, sad, and confused.

"Nothing, I'm fine," Emma lied.

"No you're not," Snow pushed. "You can talk to me, you know. I'm a good listener," she assured.

Emma sighed and stood upright, away from the wall. She knew she was going to have to tell her friends sooner or later. She just wished it could be much, much later. "Wanna walk?"

Snow nodded and fell into step beside the taller woman, both walking in silence for a few minutes. Emma was trying to work out how best to tell her friend, whilst Snow was patiently waiting for the blonde to be ready to tell her what was bothering her.

"How long have you got left in here Snow?" Emma asked suddenly.

"Just shy of two years, why?" the brunette responded.

"This place makes you think, doesn't it," Emma said slowly, "about time I mean. We all get told how long we have to be locked up for and then we spend that time counting the days, weeks, months until we get out. But so much can happen in that time. Outside these fences, the world keeps turning and everything will be different when we leave. And inside too, everything changes."

Snow nodded as she listened. She had already been in prison for a year and understood exactly what the blonde was saying. She just wasn't sure why Emma was talking about this now.

"I know," the pixie brunette replied. "Time is warped in here somehow. I think it goes slower because we're so obsessed by it. And everything that happens inside is magnified somehow. Things which wouldn't be a big deal outside these walls become the most important thing in the world in a prison."

"And the most important thing in the world outside of prison becomes so massively overwhelming inside that I don't know how to face it," Emma sighed heavily.

"Swan," Snow said, grabbing Emma's arm and stopping the blonde's progress. She stepped in front of the tormented woman and looked up into her face. "What's going on?"

Emma saw her friend's concern and genuine worry for her own well being before her. Tears stung her eyes as she realised how much she cared for the older woman before her and she blinked them back rapidly. She knew she could trust Snow with her secret, and she knew she had to tell somebody because there was no way she could get through the next six months alone.

Taking a deep breath, Emma shut her eyes tightly before speaking. "I'm pregnant."

Silence.

After a few seconds, Emma tentatively opened her eyes and glanced at the woman still stood before her. Snow's face was blank, unreadable. Emma waited, nervously picking at her nails.

"Congratulations!" Snow squealed suddenly as she pulled Emma into a tight hug.

"NO TOUCHING INMATES!" called Hunter, who was patrolling nearby.

The brunette pulled back quickly and beamed up into Emma's surprised face.

"Congratulations?" Emma asked, cocking her head.

"Of course," Snow nodded. "Having a baby is the most amazing thing in the world. It's a gift Swan and you have to treasure every moment of this entire experience."

Emma snorted and set off on their walk again.

"This is hardly a gift, Snow," Emma declared. "I'm in prison, my ex has fucked off to save his own skin and I'm completely alone. I can't keep the baby because I will still have four months left to serve when I give birth. This is the shittest give I have ever been given."

"Don't say that," Snow exclaimed. "Every baby is a gift. And I admit the timing isn't great," Emma snorted again, "but I'm sure you can work something out. And you're not alone. You have me, Red, Boyd, and French. And Mills?" she added.

Emma looked sideways at her friend. "She doesn't know."

"Are you guys getting serious?" Snow asked. She hadn't questioned her friend about the budding relationship but she had seen then two of them together multiple times over the past week.

"It's our fourth date tonight," Emma said, a smile gracing her lips for the first time since they started walking, her heart lightening a little at the just thought of the brunette.

"You need to tell her, Swan," Snow said kindly.

Emma sighed once more, running her hand through her hair as the two of them made their way back into the building. "I know," she nodded, "but for now, can we keep this just between us?"

"Of course," the brunette smiled as the two of them walked back to their bunks.

Emma moved down the overly bright corridor, counting doors. She had returned from her walk with Snow to find a note on her pillow and it had made her smile despite the difficult day she had had.

Emma,

Knock on the fourth door on the left in the East Wing corridor tonight at 7:30. I can't wait to see you.

R x

As she reached the correct door, Emma peered through into the dark room beyond, frowning in confusion. She raised her hand and knocked twice on the door. After a few seconds, she heard footsteps on the other side and the lock clicked open.

Regina's dazzling smile made Emma's heart clench as the door swung open and the brunette stepped back to let her pass. The older woman closed the door behind her and moved to stand in front of Emma.

"Hi," she said, smiling up at the blonde before she rocked onto her tip toes and placed a gentle kiss onto Emma's lips.

Hi," the younger woman whispered as they broke apart. Sliding her arms around Regina's slender frame, she pulled the delectable plump lips back towards her and kissed Regina again, moving her mouth gently over the soft flesh.

When they broke apart once more, Regina took hold of Emma's hand, interlaced their fingers and led the confused woman over to a blanket on the floor she had previously not noticed. Around the blanket, several small candles cast flickering lights over the room.

"Where are we?" Emma asked, looking around as she sat on the proffered cushion.

"It's one of the rooms they use for group meetings," Regina explained as she moved to a nearby table and began unwrapping the packages there.

"How come you have a key?" Emma asked as she watched Regina curiously.

"I have stolen several keys to several rooms here over the past two years," Regina said as she carried several plates expertly to the blanket and placed them down.

"What's all this?" Emma asked as she helped Regina arranged the plates on the floor.

"A picnic," Regina explained. "Hang on, I'll just bring the rest of it over."

Emma grinned as she looked down at the mini sandwiches arranged neatly on the plates in front of her and the smile widened still as bowls of chips, dips and sliced carrot and cucumber sticks appeared. Regina also placed two glasses and a bottle of a cloudy, amber liquid on the floor before sitting gracefully on her own cushion.

"This looks amazing Regina," Emma said as she swiped a carrot stick and munched on it quickly. Fresh vegetables were severely lacking in their regular meals at FCI.

"Thank you dear," Regina smiled. "It's not exactly fine dining but Athena allowed me to take what I wanted from the fridge earlier. She's trying so desperately to get back in my good books. It's almost endearing."

Emma laughed as she took another carrot stick. Regina swatted her hand as the blonde brought the food to her mouth.

"Patience please," Regina scolded gently. "Would you like a drink?"

Emma nodded. "What is that?"

"Cider," Regina stated. "I brew it myself. The quality of the product here is not as good as when I have access to my preferred apple variety but it is the best hooch in this place." As the brunette spoke, she poured two generous glasses of the drink.

"It's alcoholic?" Emma asked, her hand subconsciously drifting to her stomach once more.

"Yes, is that a problem?" Regina asked, turning to look at the blonde.

"I don't drink," Emma said, moving her hand quickly to her knee and praying Regina didn't notice its previous position.

"Oh," Regina said, looking slightly crestfallen. "I forgot you were only eighteen." She poured one of the ciders back into the bottle and stood to fetch a soda from the table.

"Does it bother you?" Emma asked. "Our age difference," she clarified when Regina turned back, looking confused.

"Not really," the brunette said as she passed Emma a coke. "I mean, six years is quite a lot but I don't think of you as immature or young. Age is just a number and if we're equals in every other aspect of our relationship then I'm ok with it."

"Are we in a relationship now?" Emma asked as Regina sat back down beside her.

"I'd like to be," Regina smiled, reaching out her hand to take Emma's and squeezing gently.

"Me too," Emma grinned as she leant towards Regina and kissed her lips soundly.

"Dinner?" the brunette asked as they broke apart.

"Yes please!" Emma smiled as she reached out to take an egg and cress sandwich from the plate in front of her. Frowning when Regina's hand stilled her arm's progress, she looked up into the chocolate eyes beside her in confusion.

"You have one more decision to make," Regina said, reaching under the blanket and pulling out two DVDs. "Thelma and Louise or Breakfast at Tiffany's?"

Emma gaped. "You got DVDs and a TV down here?" Regina nodded proudly. "You're the best prison girlfriend I could ever hope for!"

Regina laughed as she stood up and moved to uncover the television which had been hidden in the shadows of the room. Wheeling it forward on the trolly, she turned and raised a questioning eyebrow to Emma.

"Erm, Thelma and Louise please!" she decided. "Those two women are so kick ass!"

Regina nodded her agreement and put the disc in to play before sitting back down on the floor.

"Ok, now you can eat, honey," she said, laughing again as Emma all but dived for the sandwiches and munched hungrily as the opening credits played.

Regina subtly wiped her eyes as the screen went black. The end of the movie always got to her. She ran her hand slowly through Emma's curls. The blonde was lying with her head in the brunette's lap, her hair fanned out over her knees. As Regina's fingers snagged a small tangle, Emma turned to smile up at the older woman, her eyes also glistening.

"I love that movie," Emma whispered as she gazed up into her lover's face.

"Me too," Regina nodded. "They're such amazing women and incredibly loyal friends."

"What would you have done?" Emma asked, bringing her hand up to lace her fingers with Regina's.

"It would depend who I was with in the car," Regina said.

"Me."

There was a pause. "I'd do the same thing."

Emma smiled before reaching up to pull Regina down for a soft kiss. "Me too," the blonde breathed as they broke apart. The brunette brought their lips back together, her tongue slipping out to dance along the seam of Emma's mouth. The blonde immediately opened her lips, moaning as the hot muscle slithered in to swipe over her own tongue. She pulled Regina closer, rolling off the brunette's lap and moving so Regina could lie on top of her. The delicious feel of the toned body pressed against her own caused Emma to groan before rocking her pelvis up to grind against Regina's.

"We should be getting back," Regina panted, as she reluctantly broke a heated kiss twenty minutes later. Emma pouted up at her, sliding her fingernails up and down Regina's back beneath her top before pulling the kiss swollen lips back to her own. The brunette chuckled into the kiss and allowed Emma to roll them over, the blonde straddling her hips as she lightly pinned Regina's arms beside her head.

"I don't want to leave," Emma muttered as she placed light kisses down the column of Regina's neck until she reached the top of her shirt.

"Me neither," Regina groaned as Emma's tongue slid across her skin. "But it's almost time for lights out and I don't think we want the guards to come looking for us do we."

Emma shook her head but continued to taste and tease the older woman. Sighing, Regina wriggled her still pinned hands free and gently pushed Emma away from her. Grumbling, the blonde sat up without resistance, her green eyes hazy with lust as she looked at the woman beneath her.

"I wish we didn't have to go back to our separate bunks tonight," Emma admitted.

"I know," Regina nodded, tapping Emma's thighs and indicating the blonde needed to get off her. The two women stood up and straightened their clothes before packing away the remnants of their picnic food and shutting off the television.

As they stood by the door, Emma reached for Regina's hand and brought the knuckles to her lips, kissing them softly.

"Thank you for tonight, Regina," Emma whispered. "I had a wonderful time."

"You're welcome, Emma. I had an amazing time too," Regina smiled before leaning up to place one last tender kiss to the blonde's lips. "And don't forget, our next date is the fifth …"

With that, Regina swept from the room, Emma's groan reaching her ears as she strode back down the corridor.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope the movie part made sense to those who haven't seen Thelma and Louise. Basically the end is the two women deciding to stick together in the face of insurmountable obstacles ... It's romantic that both Emma and Regina would choose to do the same thing!


	20. Provoking Memories

"You have to tell her you know," Red said kindly. Emma nodded but said nothing. The two bunkmates were sat on the grass outside, enjoying the warmth of the sun and the fresh air. The blonde had confided in her friend a few days previously and the taller woman had been just as supportive as Snow, if a little less congratulatory.

"When?" Red asked.

"Not yet," Emma shrugged. "It's our fifth date tomorrow and I don't want to drop a bombshell like this on her."

"You think she'll take it badly?"

"It's hard enough to maintain a relationship in this place without the added complication of me being up the duff with my loser ex's baby. I hardly think telling her will make life better."

"And just how do you think you're going to hide it from her when you start to show?" Red asked. "Of all the people in here, I'm guessing she's the one who'll notice the physical changes first."

Emma sighed and flopped back on the grass, her hands covering her belly protectively. "I know, I know! But I'm only just three months along. I'll tell her soon. In a few weeks."

Red laid down beside her friend. "Ok Swanny, but you need to do it. Better she hears it from you than from someone else."

Emma's head snapped to stare wide eyed at the brunette. "Only you and Snow know though. You haven't told anyone have you?"

"No, no, of course not," Red assured. "But you know how women talk and you have made several visits to the doctor. Plus your morning sickness. I wouldn't be surprised if someone put two and two together. I had my suspicions, as I said when you finally told me."

"You're right," Emma nodded. "Argh, when did my life get so complicated?" she groaned as she covered her face with her hands.

"I'd say about the time you decided having unprotected sex on New Years Eve with a pathetic excuse for a man," Red quipped. Both women laughed darkly.

"We ought to head in," Emma said, sitting up. "Lunch break is almost over and I've got to get back down to laundry."

"Ok, I'll see you later then," Red said as the two of them stood and Emma walked back inside whilst the brunette headed in the direction of her beloved vegetable patch.

"I'm not religious but I'm damn glad we get tomorrow off," Boyd said as she dumped the last load of laundry into the hamper.

"Me too!" Emma grinned. "Who knew Good Friday was observed in prisons."

"One of the few perks of the system I suppose," Boyd grinned. "What have you got planned for your day off?"

"Regina and I are spending it together," Emma said, a goofy grin spreading over her face at the thought of the brunette.

"Urgh, you're even more lovesick than me," Boyd laughed, nudging Emma playfully on the arm.

"Shut up," Emma countered, her cheeks colouring at the blonde's words.

"So what have you got in store for the queen?" Boyd asked, still laughing.

"I'm not telling you now," Emma replied, folding the last of the towels and hopping up onto the side to wait for her co-worker to finish.

"Oh come on Swanny, you know I'm only kidding," Boyd said as she sorted the linen before her.

"I know but no one knows and I want to keep it that way. I don't want to risk Regina finding out what I have planned."

"Who knew the great Swan would be such a romantic!" Boyd laughed as she finished her work. "And who knew the queen could be so easily wooed."

"I wouldn't say it has been easy but we're trying our best," Emma said as the two of them headed back to clock out for the day and return to the main prison.

"Hey," said a sultry voice from behind her.

"Hi." Emma grinned up at her girlfriend as she took the empty seat across from her. "How was your day?"

"Dull as always," Regina replied, reaching across to snag a slightly soggy French fry from Emma's plate. "Yours?"

"Same," Emma smiled as she watched the brunette munch her stolen food. "I can't wait for this four day weekend."

"Me neither," Regina sighed, leaning back in her chair.

"Are you religious?" Emma asked, realising it was something she had never discussed with the woman.

"Technically," Regina replied. At the confused look on the blonde's face she elaborated. "I was brought up in a strictly Christian household. My mother didn't believe but religion was very important to my father and my father was very important to me so I followed his example."

"But?" Emma asked, sensing there was more to the story.

"After he died, I lost my faith," Regina said, her voice breaking slightly. "I couldn't find the strength in me to continue his practice and I feel guilty about that every day. I try to observe the important holidays though."

Emma reached out across the table and grasped Regina's hand, letting go quickly lest a nearby guard reprimanded them.

"You never talk about your family," Emma whispered.

"Because it's too painful," Regina replied, raising her moist eyes to look at Emma. "My father was taken from this life too soon and my mother never cared for me. It's easier to pretend they don't exist than to face the truth sometimes."

"I understand," Emma nodded. "But if you do ever want to talk, you know I'm here for you right?"

Regina smiled weakly. "Yes, thank you Emma."

"Of course," the blonde grinned back.

"So, what's the plan for our date tomorrow?" Regina asked, eager to change the subject.

"I'm not telling," Emma replied, tapping her nose with her forefinger and winking.

Regina laughed. "You're an idiot. A completely adorable idiot."

Emma grinned proudly and nodded her head. "Yep, and you love it!"

Regina blushed at the words and smiled shyly. "I do," she said, quietly.

Their eyes met as both women registered what had just been said. Emma smiled softly as she looked deep into the dark eyes before her, a tug at her heart when Regina eventually broke the connection and stood up.

"So I'll see you at 10am in your bunk?" she asked. Emma nodded. "I can't wait," she grinned before walking off, trailing her fingers against the blonde's shoulders as she passed. Emma shivered slightly and turned to watch the slightly exaggerated sway of her girlfriend's hips as she left the dining room.

"Please just tell me where we're going!" Regina all but whined as the blonde grasped her hand and led her out into the corridor.

"Nope!" the blonde replied, enjoying how annoyed she was making the older woman.

Grumbling, Regina fell into step beside her girlfriend, interlacing their fingers as she did so. Since West had threatened them, the two women decided there was no point hiding their relationship. They had received a few raised eyebrows when they ate together in the dining hall but no one had commented. Not that either woman cared what anyone else thought of their romance anyway.

Emma led them down to the yard and out into the fresh air. It was a beautiful spring morning and the sun was rising in the sky steadily, evaporating off the last of the dew still lingering on the blades of grass.

"I thought we'd go for a walk to start off," Emma explained as the two of them reached the edge of the grassy area. "I know how much you miss being outside and I thought you might like to spend some time out here. It's such a beautiful day and I love walking too."

"Sounds perfect, Emma," Regina smiled, glancing around before placing a gentle kiss to the blonde's cheek.

The two women set off and in hand, talking about their likes and dislikes and generally getting to know each other even better. When they had completed a circuit, they both glanced at one another and silently agreed to walk around the perimeter again.

"I miss being outside so much!" Regina sighed as they reached the furthest point from the building.

"Why don't you try and get a gardening detail?" Emma suggested, pulling at Regina's hand to make her stop before sitting on the grass and patting the ground beside her.

"I have considered it," Regina admitted as she sat down next to Emma. "But the spaces are hard to come by and I've not got as much sway in here as I once did."

"What do you miss most about being outside?" Emma asked, wanting to keep the subject away from Regina's drug dealing past.

"Horse riding," Regina said, a dreamy expression coming over her face.

"You ride?" Emma asked.

"Ever since I was a little girl," she grinned. "My father bred racehorses, that's how he made his money, and I was helping out at the stables as soon as I could walk. I rode professionally for a while before I fell and damaged my leg. I can't grip the saddle properly any more so I just ride for pleasure now."

"Do you have your own horse?" Emma asked.

"I sold him shortly before I was arrested actually. His name was Rocinante and I'd had him since I was seven. I want to buy another one when I get out though. Can you ride?" she asked, turning to face Emma who was listening to Regina's passionate recollection with a smile on her face.

"Nope," Emma shook her head. "I always wanted lessons but none of my foster parents would pay for them."

"Maybe I can teach you when you get out of here," Regina offered.

"I'd like that," Emma smiled, squeezing their still clasped hands. A comfortable silence fell over the two women as they both looked around the green space.

"So what's the next part of this day date?" Regina asked after a while.

"Well I kinda added in a bit after our chat yesterday," Emma smiled. "Fancy going to church?" Regina raised a questioning eyebrow. "They have a Good Friday service at midday, I thought it might be nice for you to go along, you know, for your father."

"Thank you, Emma," Regina said. "That's really sweet. Are you joining me?"

"It wouldn't be much of a date without your girlfriend there distracting you and reminding you of what happened the last time we were in that chapel would it?"

Regina laughed and stood up, pulling Emma to her feet and the two of them walked towards the main building hand in hand.

"Well?" Emma asked as they left the chapel an hour later.

"It was nice," Regina said. "Reminded me of home."

"It reminded me of our first time," Emma whispered throatily in the brunette's ear as they headed towards the dining room.

"Shhhh," Regina giggled. A few passing inmates looked around at that particular sound coming from the former queen of the prison.

The two women ate lunch together, pleased that fewer women in the dining hall were paying attention to them. The sight of the two lovers together had become old news quickly it seemed.

"Enjoy the service?" came a voice from behind Emma.

Regina looked up and narrowed her eyes at her half sister.

"What do you want West?" the brunette asked, pointedly ignoring her former associates who were stood on either side of the redhead.

"Did it remind you of dear old dad? Being in the house of God once more after so many years of absence?" the Brit continued, ignoring the brunette's question.

Regina's hands balled into fists on the table and Emma leant quickly across, placing a soothing palm on the tense fingers.

"Don't," she muttered, squeezing lightly before withdrawing and turning around to glower at the four women behind her.

"Touched a nerve I see," West smirked. "Well I suppose it is hard knowing your mother cheated on your worthless father."

"At least she didn't give me up when I was born," Regina spat back.

"Hardly," West sneered. "She didn't want me raised by a spineless man who cared more about his precious horses than his own family."

Emma never did quite remember what happened next. All she knew was suddenly Regina had launched herself at her half sister, screaming and clawing at any part of West she could reach. Emma jumped into action, as did Trident, Faery and Feinberg, although the latter three were far more offensive than Emma's defensive attempts. A well aimed punch sent Regina reeling back into the startled blonde who had stood to pull the brunette away. Wrapping her arm firmly around her girlfriend's waist, Emma attempted to hold Regina back but the woman was seeing red. Her previous bodyguards moved towards her menacingly as the brunette hurled abuse at all four women.

"Regina stop!" Emma cried, struggling to maintain her hold as the older woman writhed in her arms, still out of reach of the three advancing cronies.

"Let me go, Emma!" the brunette yelled. "This bitch deserves everything I can give her."

West laughed from behind her wall of muscle. "Oh yeah little sis?" she jeered. "And just how do you think you're going to get to me?"

Regina's scream made the hairs on the back of Emma's neck stand on end before the brunette pushed away from her, hard. Losing her balance, Emma fell backwards, her arms flailing as she collided heavily with the dining hall floor. Blinded by rage, Regina flew towards the three women, her fists raining down on them in a manic and haphazard manner. Feinberg, stood a little behind, raised an eyebrow at her former boss' behaviour before quickly circling around and placing Regina easily in a headlock.

"Stop!" cried Emma, struggling to push herself up before doubling over at an excruciating pain in her abdomen.

"WHAT'S GOING ON?" thundered Hunter as he and Nolan sprinted into the room. West, Trident and Faery pulled back immediately and Feinberg loosened her hold on Regina's neck. The brunette moved away, gasping and rubbing her tender throat.

"Warden's office now. All of you," Nolan growled, marching behind the five women as they left the room.

As Emma curled into a ball on the floor, Red and Snow, who had been dining nearby, rushed to her side.

"Emma, are you ok?" Red asked, fear etched on her face as she looked down at her friend.

"Inmate?" Hunter asked, noticing Emma for the first time. "You injured?"

"I'm not sure," Emma muttered, bracing her body to move again. She uncurled her legs slowly, the now dull ache in her stomach didn't increase so she straightened them completely.

"We'll take her to the infirmary, officer," Snow said, crouching beside Emma and looking carefully into the blonde's face for any sign of distress as Red reached out her hands to pull Emma to her feet.

"You ok?" Red asked again when Emma had eased herself to her feet.

"Not sure," the blonde said through gritted teeth.

"Come on," Snow said, ducking under Emma's arm and supporting the taller woman's weight against her shoulder. Red did the same and together the three women walked slowly out of the dining room followed by the curious stares of every inmate there.


	21. Telling Regina

"Where's Emma?"

Red raised her head and narrowed her eyes when she saw the woman stood in the doorway. Mills looked smaller somehow, more timid as she nervously fidgeted with the sleeve of her top, waiting for the blonde's roommate to answer. The remnants of a bruise was visible around one eye and there was a partially healed cut on her upper cheek.

"Why should I tell you?" Red spat, before returning to the magazine she had been reading.

"Because I'm her girlfriend," the brunette responded, moving a little way inside the room.

Red let out a bark like laugh. "Some girlfriend you are," she replied. "Emma doesn't want to see you and I don't want you seeing her either."

"Please," Regina implored. "Just tell me where she is."

"The infirmary," Red responded. "Not that you'll be allowed to visit her anyway."

Regina's brow furrowed. "The infirmary? Why? What happened to her?"

"You happened to her," Red growled. "Now get out and don't go looking for Emma. She's got enough on her plate without getting involved with a psycho like you."

Regina opened her mouth to speak but the glare Red shot her made the words die in her throat. She turned and walked out of the room, her mind fraught with worry. She had been in SHU for a week and had been unable to bribe a single guard to pass a message to her girlfriend. And now she found out the blonde was in the prison hospital. Red hadn't seemed overly worried about her bunkmate's physical health, so Regina assumed whatever was wrong with Emma wasn't serious. Or was no longer serious, she mused.

Regina walked blindly through the prison, finding herself outside the infirmary without even realising where she had been headed. She took a deep breath and pushed the door open. A quick scan of the room told her Emma wasn't there. Frowning, she approached Doctor Fisher who was checking another inmate, propped up on a nearby bed.

"Doctor, may I have a word please?" Regina asked.

"In a minute, inmate. Take a seat," Fisher said without looking up from the chart on the clipboard in her hand.

Huffing her frustration, Regina moved to sit in one of the uncomfortable chairs against the wall. Tapping her foot impatiently, she glanced around. There were three beds in the room, two occupied and one vacant. As she waited, the sound of a toilet flushing could be heard from the room beside her chair. A few seconds later, the door clicked open and a familiar blonde woman walked out.

"Emma!" Regina cried, jumping to her feet and reaching for the blonde's arm.

The younger woman flinched, her eyes widening as she turned to face her girlfriend.

"Regina," Emma said, blankly. "What are you doing here?"

"I came to see if you were ok. Red told me you were here," Regina said, reaching to grasp Emma's hand as she spoke. The blonde pulled away and turned to walk back to her bed. Regina frowned but followed her.

"I'm fine," Emma said shortly as she reached the edge of the mattress. Slowly manoeuvring herself onto the bed, a grimace of pain flashed across the blonde's face. Regina rushed forward to help, Emma accepting the support as the brunette's arms helped her lower herself back down gently.

"What happened?" Regina asked, about to reach for Emma's hand again before she stopped herself at the memory of how the blonde had moved away from her moments before.

"Ruptured spleen," Emma muttered. "They had to do emergency surgery."

Regina paled, her face etched with worry. "How? Are you ok? What's going to happen now?"

"I'm getting better," Emma said, reaching for the glass of water by her bed and taking a sip. "You can live without your spleen, you're just more susceptible to illnesses."

"But how did this happen Emma?" Regina implored, needing to know what had been going on whilst she was away.

"What do you mean?" Emma asked, confused.

"What caused your spleen to rupture?" Regina asked again.

"You don't remember?" the blonde asked, eyebrows raised.

"Remember what? Emma, please, you're scaring me." Regina's voice dropped to a hushed whisper as she realised Emma's bed neighbour was listening intently.

"The fight in the dining hall," Emma began. "I was trying to hold you back, stop you getting your face smashed in by your half sister's thugs and you pushed away from me. I fell backwards and smacked into the floor. Apparently that was all it took," the blonde finished with a shrug

Regina clapped her hand over her mouth, tears forming in her eyes as she looked at her girlfriend.

"I … I did this?" she asked, her voice shaking.

"Well, not on purpose but, yeah," Emma shrugged.

"Oh Emma, I'm so so sorry!" Regina cried, reaching out to take Emma's hand once more. This time the blonde didn't pull away but her fingers lay immobile in Regina's grip. "I never meant you to get involved. I never meant for you to get hurt. Oh Emma, please forgive me."

"Inmate Mills. What are you doing?" Fisher asked, her head snapping up from the charts at the sound of Regina's raised voice.

"It's ok Doc," Emma assured. "Mills is just leaving."

Regina's brow furrowed. "What?"

"Please leave Regina. I'll speak to you when I get out."

"When will that be?"

"A few more days," Emma said. "They want to keep me in to monitor the … to monitor me."

Regina frowned harder but nodded. "Ok. But please know I'm so sorry Emma. I want to make this right. Please come and find me when you get out of here."

"I will," Emma promised, her fingers squeezing Regina's lightly before the brunette withdrew her hand and left the room, glancing back one more time as she reached the doorway.

Emma flopped back on her pillow as soon as the brunette was out of sight and placed her arm over her eyes, groaning quietly.

"Are you ok Miss Swan?" came Fisher's concerned voice. Emma nodded before removing her arm and smiling weakly at her doctor. "Let me just do a few checks and then I'll leave you to your lunch."

Emma sat up in bed and pulled up her hospital gown, used to the routine by now. Fisher wheeled the ultrasound machine over and squeezed some gel onto Emma's still flat stomach. As she wiggled the probe around, Emma shut her eyes and turned her face away from the monitor, something she had done every day for the past week.

"The baby's looking fine," Fisher said as she stowed the probe away and wiped Emma's stomach clean. "There's still no sign of trauma from the fall or the surgery. You were both very lucky. If this speed of recovery continues, I'll release you on Monday."

"Thank you," Emma said sliding her robe back down as the doctor walked back to her office.

"Welcome back!" Red and Snow cheered in unison.

Emma smiled a real smile for the first time in ten days. Her friends were stood by her bed which was covered balloons. A pile of her favourite commissary snacks had been arranged on her pillow and a fresh stack of glossy magazines lay beside them.

"Thanks guys," Emma said as she walked further into her bunk and gave both her friends a hug. She placed the collection of get well soon cards she had brought with her from the infirmary on her cabinet before she sank onto her bed. Red hurriedly cleared some of the balloons away and then she and Snow sat down on either side of the blonde.

"How are you feeling?" Snow asked.

"Much better thanks. They took my stitches out yesterday and the scar is healing well."

"And the baby?" Red asked in a hushed tone.

"Fine," Emma said. Both Red and Snow let out audible sighs.

"Good," Red smiled. "We were so worried about both of you."

"Me too," Emma admitted. "I've never been so scared in all my life."

"I could have killed Mills for what she did to you," Snow said, her eyes darkening uncharacteristically.

Emma raised her eyebrows at her usually passive friend's tone. "Well, she didn't exactly mean it to happen. She didn't even remember doing it actually."

"You've seen her?" Red asked.

"Yeah, she came to see me in the infirmary a week after it happened. She had no recollection of pushing me backwards or anything."

"I told that bitch to stay away from you," Red growled, getting to her feet and moving towards the corridor.

"Hang on Red," Emma said. "It wasn't really her fault."

"You're forgiving her?" Snow asked, incredulously. "She nearly killed your baby. And she's left you without your spleen."

"But she didn't mean to. And both me and the baby are fine," Emma reasoned.

"Why are you defending that mental woman?" Red asked. "Don't you remember what she did? The way she fought with her sister with no regard for the consequences? She's dangerous Emma, and you need to stay away from her."

Emma chewed her lip. She knew what her friends were saying made sense. She knew she shouldn't want to see Regina ever again. But that hadn't stopped the brunette's beautiful face being the last thing she saw when she went to sleep at night and the first thing she thought of when she woke up. Her dreams were filled with images too. Seductive, playful, loving, funny, earnest Regina, the thought of whom made Emma's heart swell with happiness.

"I don't think I can," Emma whispered, ducking her head away from her two friends' disbelieving looks.

"Emma, please. Think about yourself. Think about your baby," Snow implored. "You need to be safe and healthy, for both your sakes. I hardly think getting involved with someone like Mills is a good idea."

"Don't you guys get it?" Emma asked, looking up once more, her eyes filled with unshed tears. "I'm already involved. I can't stop thinking about her, I can't get her out of my head, and I don't want to. I know she's dangerous but she would never hurt me." Red snorted and Snow raised an eyebrow pointedly. "She would never deliberately hurt me," Emma amended. "And you didn't see how sorry she was when I told her what had happened."

As soon as she had finished speaking, Emma stood up and headed towards the doorway.

"Where are you going?" Snow asked.

"To find my girlfriend," Emma replied before she rounded the corner and was out of sight, leaving the two brunettes to stare wide eyed at each other.

"Regina?" Emma said quietly.

The brunette's head spun around at the quiet voice behind her and the book she had been reading dropped to the table with a dull thud. A few nearby inmates looked away from the television to see what the commotion was.

"Emma!" Regina breathed out, rising to her feet and looking the blonde up and down. "Are you ok?"

"Much better, thanks," Emma smiled softly. "Can we talk?"

"Of course," Regina said, picking up The Great Gatsby and gesturing for Emma to lead them out of the television room. Pausing for a moment in the corridor, it took Emma a few seconds to decide where to go. But really there was only one room that made sense to her.

As they reached the chapel door, Emma pushed it opened and stood back, waiting for Regina to enter before stepping in behind her and closing the door softly. The midday sun filtered through the fake stained glass windows, making the room far brighter than it had been during any of the other meetings between the two women.

They sat down in two chairs near the wall, both glancing at the spot where they had had sex for the first time. The only time, in fact. Regina remained quiet, waiting for Emma to speak.

"How've you been?" the blonde asked after a long silence.

"Not great," Regina admitted. "I didn't think you'd ever speak to me again."

"I told you I'd come and find you once I got out of the infirmary," Emma said.

"Yeah but from the death glares Snow and Red have been giving me for the past three days, I assumed they'd try and stop you coming to see me."

"They did," Emma said simply. "But I came anyway."

"I'm so sorry Emma," Regina said, echoing her words from the previous week. "I never meant for you to get hurt and I'll never forgive myself for what happened."

"It's ok," Emma said.

"No, it's not," Regina shook her head. "Your friends are right. You should stay away from me. I've caused you nothing but pain since I've known you and you deserve so much better than me. I'm sorry for ever pursuing anything between us and all the hurt I have caused." The brunette stood up and made towards the door.

"Regina, stop," Emma said firmly, reaching out to grab the brunette's arm.

Turning around, Regina's eyes shimmered with tears once more as she looked down into Emma's face.

"Firstly, I don't want to stay away from you," Emma began, getting to her feet and moving to stand in front of the brunette. "More than that, I can't stay away from you, Regina. I was thinking about you all the time when I was in that hospital bed. I know you're technically the reason I was there but that's immaterial to how I feel about you. I'm crazy about you. You do deserve me and you need to believe that. What happened to me was an accident. It wasn't malicious, or at least the malice wasn't aimed at me, and I know you never meant to cause me any harm. I forgive you Regina, but you need to forgive yourself before we can move on."

Tears began to roll down Regina's face as Emma talked. The honesty and depth of Emma's words overwhelmed the older woman who had lived a life devoid of sentiment for so long. A sob escaped her and Emma's arms quickly enveloped her quaking form. Regina clung to the taller woman, her hands fisting tightly in Emma's top as she cried against the blonde's neck.

"I'm so sorry," she mumbled, over and over again as Emma ran a soothing hand up and down Regina's back, waiting for her girlfriend to compose herself.

After several minutes, Regina pulled away slightly. Emma wiped her tear-streaked face softly with the pad of her thumb before placing a sweet kiss against Regina's lips.

"I forgive you," Emma whispered, leaning her forehead against Regina's, enjoying the way their breath mingled intimately.

"Thank you, Emma," Regina said, breaking their contact and giving the blonde a watery smile. "You're incredible."

"So are you," Emma smiled, pulling the brunette back towards her and placing a firmer kiss to her lips. Arms slid around Emma's waist, pulling her closer and eliciting a small groan which was swallowed by Regina's mouth as her lips parted slightly. Two tongues met, tasting each other once more and battling for dominance before Regina acquiesced and allowed Emma to plunder her mouth thoroughly, flicking and teasing over every inch before the blonde pulled reluctantly away. With one final kiss placed on Regina's scar, Emma stepped away and sat back down. Regina frowned slightly but took the hint and sat down next to her girlfriend.

"Look, Regina," Emma said, suddenly nervous. "As we're being honest with each other, there's something I need to tell you."

"You can tell me anything Emma," Regina said earnestly, grasping both the blonde's hands in her own.

"Ok, but before you do, I need you to remember that I have already forgiven you for what happened last week in the dining hall. What I am about to say is not intended to make you feel even more unnecessary guilt. But I do need to say it."

"You're scaring me Emma," Regina said, sensing the seriousness in her girlfriend's tone. "What is it?"

Emma took a deep breath and closed her eyes tightly before opening them once more and looking intently into the red rimmed brown orbs before her.

"I'm pregnant."

Oops, another cliffhanger, sorry!


	22. Lovers Reconnecting

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> NSFW

"What?" Regina breathed.

"I'm pregnant," Emma repeated.

"How?" Regina asked. Emma raised an eyebrow. "I don't mean how how, but how?" the brunette asked again.

"Neal," Emma stated with a small shrug. "My ex. We had unprotected sex once and apparently that was all it took." She moved to cover her stomach with one hand, rubbing it gently before looking back up at Regina.

"Oh my God!" Regina cried, jumping up from her chair and moving quickly away from the blonde. Emma's face crumpled as she watched her girlfriend scramble to put as much distance between them as possible.

"Well I know it's not ideal Regina but I'm not toxic. If you don't want to be with me any more, I understand but you don't have to act like I'm carrying a deadly disease. It's a baby, not ebola."

"No, no, Emma, it's not that," Regina said, but she made no move back toward the younger woman who was slumped back in her chair now.

"Then why did you just run away like I was the devil?" Emma asked, blinking furiously to try and stop the tears pricking her eyes.

"Because I don't want to hurt you. Either of you." Regina explained. "In the past two months I have punched you in the face and ruptured your spleen. What if I had caused injury to your baby during that senseless fight with my half sister? I would never be able to forgive myself if anything happened to you. Your friends are right. You do need to stay away from me now. For the baby's sake as much as your own. Please Emma. Please leave me alone."

"Regina, no!" Emma said firmly, standing up and moving towards the brunette. Regina backed away as the blonde approached until she hit the wall. Emma paused in her tracks as she saw the fear in the chocolate orbs.

"What are you afraid of?" Emma asked quietly.

"I don't trust myself," Regina whispered. "Everyone close to me gets hurt. I can't risk that happening again. Not to you."

"Regina," Emma implored. "You don't need to be afraid. I want to be with you. I need to be with you. And being pregnant has changed nothing about how I feel towards you. I know you never meant to cause me or my baby any harm. And you didn't. That was why they kept me in the infirmary so long after the surgery, to monitor the baby. It's fine, I'm fine. You have nothing to feel guilty for."

Regina let out a sob before her knees bucked and she slid down the wall, tears streaming down her face once more. Emma rushed to her side and crouched down next to her, placing an arm awkwardly around Regina's shaking shoulders.

"Shhh, it's all ok," Emma assured, holding the brunette closer to her as Regina continued to cry.

"You're not safe with me," Regina sobbed, turning to cry into her girlfriend's shoulder.

"Yes I am," Emma stated. "I know you Regina. I know you're sorry for what has happened and I know you will do everything you possibly can to stop it happening again."

"What if I can't?" Regina whispered, raising her tear stained face to look at Emma. "What if West or Feinberg, Faery or Trident go after you to get to me? I can't risk it Emma. I won't risk it."

"I don't think it's a risk. It's my decision who I want to be with Regina. It's my baby and I'm responsible for their safety. I want to be with you and I don't think our relationship will put my baby or me in danger. Please, Regina, trust me to know what I want."

"I want it, us, too Emma, I do," Regina implored, reaching to grasp Emma's hands again. "I'm just scared," she admitted quietly.

"Me too," Emma said, softly. "But whatever happens, we can face it together ok?"

Regina nodded and sniffed, a small smile gracing her lips as she looked into Emma's earnest expression. The blonde smiled back and leaned forward, pressing her lips gently against Regina's.

"I missed you," she said, as she pulled back and sat down beside Regina.

"I missed you too," Regina said, cuddling up against her girlfriend. Emma wrapped an arm around the brunette, pulling her closer against her side.

They sat there for a while, both trying to process the previous conversation. Emma knew she wanted to be with Regina. She knew West and her cronies were a problem but she didn't believe any of them would cause physical harm to her or her unborn child. Sooner or later, her pregnancy would be common knowledge in the prison and Emma didn't believe any woman would endanger the life of a baby.

Regina snuggled closer, revelling in the feel of Emma's chest rising and falling steadily beneath her cheek. She had been stunned by the blonde's confession before a wave of guilt had washed over her. It felt like someone was squeezing her heart impossibly tight as she realised what she had done to her pregnant girlfriend. She would never have punched Emma that first time in the chapel had she known.

"When did you find out?" Regina asked, pulling back suddenly and looking at Emma.

"Erm …" Emma began. She knew her hesitation to tell her girlfriend would come up sooner or later. "A month ago."

"So after I punched you?" Emma nodded. "After we kissed for the first time?" Emma nodded again. "After we had sex?" Emma shook her head.

"I found out the day before our first time," Emma said, quietly.

"Why did you tell me sooner?" Regina asked.

"I was scared," Emma admitted. "I was so overwhelmed with being in prison and everything else that this bombshell was too much for me. It took me two weeks to tell Snow and Red."

"You told those two before me?" Regina asked.

"Are you mad about that?" Emma said, her brow furrowed once more.

"No," Regina sighed. "I have no right to be mad at your for anything after what I've done to you. I guess I just hoped you would trust me enough. Not that I have given you a reason to."

"Hey, I do trust you," Emma declared, looking intently into Regina's eyes. "I was wrong to keep it from you for so long and I'm sorry. I wanted to tell you but I was scared you wouldn't want me when you found out."

"I've never wanted you more," Regina said softly.

Emma smiled and moved towards her girlfriend once more. Their mouths met in a languid kiss as their arms encircled the other's body. Regina moved to lie down, pulling Emma on top of her gently. The blonde's hands fisted in soft brown locks, deepening the kiss as her tongue slipped between parted lips. A moan came from one of the women but neither knew which as Regina's hands moved underneath Emma's top and her nails scraped tantalisingly up the smooth skin of her back.

Emma broke their kiss, peppering Regina's jawline with featherlight brushes from her lips until she reached Regina's ear. Licking a spot just below the lobe, she grinned against the soft skin as Regina's fingernails dug deeper into her back and a throaty growl escaped the brunette. Sucking the same spot, Emma drifted her hands down to the bottom of Regina's top as her tongue laved the sensitive area. Teasing her fingertips along the hem of Regina's pants, she grasped the top and wriggled the material up, moving off the brunette as she pulled the top up and over her head. As she gazed back down at the topless woman, Emma smiled salaciously before removing her own top.

"Come here," Regina breathed, reaching for Emma's hands and pulling her girlfriend back down. Both women moaned as their skin connected, the heat from their flesh fuelling their arousal. Mouths met hungrily as they kissed with renewed passion. Rolling them over suddenly, Regina straddled Emma's hips before scooting herself backwards to place soft kisses down Emma's heaving chest. Drawing a line with her tongue from Emma's left bra strap down the edge of the cup, along the join and back up the other side, Regina revelled in the taste of the younger woman. Reaching around, she fumbled to release the clasp as Emma arched her back, granting her more access. As soon as her breasts were uncovered, a hot mouth enveloped Emma's right nipple. Her hands flew to the back of Regina's head, cradling her closer as the talented tongue skated over the sensitive tip. Moving to the other nipple, Regina's fingers tweaked the stiff and wet peak her mouth had vacated, sending pulses of pleasure straight to Emma's core.

Unable to wait any longer, Emma gently pressed on the brunette's head, silently asking for more. Regina understood and moved to press soft kisses down the blonde's abdomen. She sat back briefly, looking intently at the flat stomach in front of her.

"You've not started to show yet," she observed, her fingertips trailing over the pale skin, making the muscles beneath tense and jump at the touch.

Emma shook her head. "Won't be long though," she husked.

"You're going to be so beautiful pregnant, Emma," Regina breathed as she moved back to place a delicate kiss just above the blonde's naval.

Emma blushed at the brunette's words before groaning as she felt Regina's hands pushing down her pants and panties together. Shuffling further backwards, the brunette settled herself between Emma's legs and looked hungrily at the glistening sex in front of her before scanning her eyes up to meet the blonde's. It was the first time she had seen her girlfriend's naked body in daylight and her breath hitched at the stunning woman before her.

Emma looked down with hooded eyes, rocking her hips upwards slightly as she waited for Regina to remember what she was about to do. Regina blinked once and came back to herself. Smiling broadly, she lowered her face to the blonde's sex and dragged her tongue around the outside of each labia, slowly. Emma moaned again, her hands moving to Regina's hair once more. Placing a light kiss to the hooded bundle of nerves, Regina slid her tongue between Emma's folds, tasting the younger woman more strongly as the tip of her tongue circled Emma's entrance. Wrapping her arms around Emma's quaking thighs, Regina pushed her face more firmly against her girlfriend's sex and began to lick her with more force.

Moving her tongue in steady, strong licks, Regina felt Emma get wetter and wetter as her juices slicked her sex. Circling the tight bud at the top, Regina moved her tongue back down to dip inside Emma, enjoying the way the blonde's sex clenched around the intrusion. Her mouth sealed around her clit, sucking gently as her tongue flicked over the top, causing Emma to cry out and pull lightly on Regina's hair. The brunette smiled against the delectable sex underneath her mouth and continued her ministrations as she slid one hand up the blonde's body. She paused for a moment to reverently stroke Emma's stomach before moving up to cup a breast, tweaking the still hard nipple at the same time as she nibbled lightly on Emma's clit.

"Oh Regina!" Emma cried, her back arching fully off the floor as she felt Regina's teeth scrape over her clit. Her whole body began to shake as her orgasm crested. The brunette laved her clit once more before moving back and blowing cold air onto the stimulated bud. Emma's hands flew to her mouth, trying to block the scream that escaped as Regina's hot mouth covered her sex once more and her climax hit her, harder than ever before. Regina kept her mouth against Emma, moving more carefully as she felt the blonde's sex throb and clench beneath her. Eventually, Emma pushed Regina lightly away, too sensitive for any more stimulation.

Regina's tongue poked out to lick Emma's juice from her lips before she wiped the rest of her face and moved to lie next to the blonde. Emma's head rolled to face Regina, a contented, lazy smile gracing her lips.

"Thank you," Emma said, her voice hoarse.

"For what?" Regina asked, running her fingers lightly over Emma's abdomen.

"For giving me the best orgasm of my life," Emma murmured as she rolled herself back on top of her girlfriend.

"You think that was good, just wait and see what I can do when I get you in a bed with my box of toys," Regina said with a wink as she smiled up at Emma.

The blonde groaned as she rocked her wet sex against her girlfriend's bare stomach. Regina's breath hitched as she felt the sticky warmth against her skin and realised how turned on she was. Reaching behind herself, she quickly unclasped her own bra and threw it aside. Emma's mouth was on her breasts in an instant, eager to feel the soft flesh once more. Regina placed her hands on Emma's hips, encouraging the younger woman to rock against the brunette's toned stomach as her mouth worked over her nipples.

Pulling away, Emma looked intently into Regina's face for a moment, as if making an internal decision, before nodding shortly and moving to remove Regina's pants and panties.

Confused by the way Emma had just looked at her, Regina frowned. "You ok?" Regina asked, propping herself up on her elbows as she watched the blonde pull the garments from her feet.

"I've never done this before," Emma admitted, glancing up at Regina as she spoke. "You know, used my mouth on another woman."

"Oh honey, you don't have to if you don't want to," Regina assured, reaching for Emma's hand.

"No, no, I do want to," Emma assured, moving to position herself between Regina's thighs. "Believe me I want this more than anything. I just want to be good for you."

"And you will be," Regina said, kindly. "You were incredible last time we were together and you know how to read my body already. Just do to me what you like yourself and you'll be fine."

Emma returned Regina smile before moving herself closer to the brunette's shaved sex. She cocked her head for a moment, looking carefully at the exposed pussy before lowering her head and taking a tentative swipe. Regina's elbows gave out at the sensation and her body thumped back to the floor. Emma slid her tongue up, slowly. When she reached Regina's nub, she licked the hardened clit a few times before swiping back through her dripping folds. As her tongue grazed over Regina's opening, the brunette's fingers tangled themselves into Emma's hair, careful not to pressurise the blonde too much. Emma relaxed slightly as her tongue moved back up and she sucked softly on Regina's clit for the first time. The feel of the bundle of nerves in her mouth, hard and throbbing, sent a new wave of heat to Emma's own clit and she moaned against Regina.

As the vibrations from Emma's mouth trembled through her, Regina cried out her girlfriend's name. Emma moved to straddle one of Regina's thighs unable to deal with the building pressure between her own legs without some release. She pressed herself down, moaning as she felt herself slide slickly across the hard muscle. Once she had established a steady rhythm she moved her mouth back down and tongued Regina's hole, teasing inside and moaning at the abundant juices she tasted there. This was far better than licking Regina's essence off her own fingers the previous time. At that thought, Emma brought her hand to join the party, sliding a finger inside Regina as her tongue danced back up the dripping folds. Regina groaned at the intrusion and rocked her hips upwards, encouraging Emma to press deeper.

The blonde understood and slid her finger in all the way, pulling out slowly only to add a second digit. The two fingers twisted and stroked inside as Emma's tongue slid over Regina's clit. The blonde herself continued to rock against her girlfriend's thigh, now wet with the juices leaking from her throbbing pussy.

Regina's fingers tensed in her hair and Emma knew she was close. She added a third finger, remembering how much her girlfriend had liked that last time, and sealed her mouth around her clit. Regina shattered as the sensations came together. Her back arched off the floor as Emma's tongue swiped once more over her clit, as her fingers hit deep, dark places, far inside her, and as Emma's own sex squelched deliciously against her thigh.

Raising her head, Emma watched as the beautiful woman convulsed beneath her touch. More aroused than she had ever been, Emma pressed herself harder against Regina's thigh as she looked at her girlfriend's face, twisted in ecstasy. Still pushing her fingers in and out of the tight channel, Emma watched as the full force of the orgasm hit Regina and her own name was ripped from beautiful dark lips. Emma fell forward onto Regina, a second climax rippling through her own body.

They lay there for a while, sweaty bodies sticking together as their breathing returned to normal and their heartbeats slowed. Eventually, Emma rolled off Regina and laid beside her. The two women looked at each other, smiling, before they leaned back towards each other. It was if a magnet was pulling them together as their lips met once more, moving slowly now their desires were placated.

"I thought you said we needed to go on five dates before you'd put out," Emma teased as she pulled away.

"Well, we did technically have five, just one got interrupted," Regina reasoned as she kissed Emma on the nose.

"Perhaps we could recommence it this weekend?" Emma asked. "I had some fun things planned."

"Sounds great," Regina smiled. "But right now I fear we should be getting back."

Emma groaned but nodded her understanding. The brunette sat up and looked around for her discarded clothes. The floor was strewn with them and she reached for some to sort which were hers and which were Emma's.

"Here," Emma said from behind her, holding out Regina's lacy blue bra.

"Thanks," Regina smiled as she moved to fasten it once more.

"Seriously, how do you get sexy underwear in here?" Emma grumbled as she stood to pull on the prison issue panties Regina had just handed her.

Regina laughed and stood too, pulling Emma back towards her for a kiss. "Don't worry dear. It doesn't make me desire you any less. It just means we'll have to go shopping when you get out to make up for it." Emma grinned and nodded before her tousled hair disappeared into her top.

They finished getting dressed and then checked each other for presentability. When both were deemed acceptable, they walked to the chapel door and Regina opened it to peek into the corridor.

"We need to find a better place to meet," Emma muttered as she waited for Regina to tell her the coast was clear.

"Agreed," Regina said, ducking her head back inside. "I'll see what I can do."

Emma grinned and pulled her girlfriend towards her. "You're amazing," she said with a tender kiss to Regina's cheek.

"Not as amazing as you Emma," Regina smiled back. "I'll see you at dinner?"

Emma nodded and gave her girlfriend a cheeky slap on the ass just before Regina slipped out of the chapel and back into the real world.


	23. Family History

Emma smiled at her girlfriend across the table as she spooned another mouthful of cereal into her mouth. The two had eaten every meal together throughout the previous week and Snow and Red were getting tired of giving their new dinner companion evil glares, settling for ignoring anything Regina said instead. Emma's friends were eating their own breakfasts next to the couple, chatting about their upcoming visitations and their afternoon plans. Emma had tried to talk to them about their attitude towards her girlfriend but her two friends were being stubbornly, and unnecessarily and Emma's opinion, protective. It didn't bother the blonde too much however. Her heart had never been lighter and she loved spending time with Regina, regardless of her friends' opinions.

"Mills." Both Emma and Regina looked up as Officer Nolan walked over to their table.

"Yes Officer," Regina said with a sickly sweet smile. She had always despised the spineless man, finding him easier than any other CO to manipulate when she was dealing drugs. Despite not needing to sneak around him any more, she liked to keep on his good side, just in case.

"Visitation notification. Came through last night, sorry for the late notice," he said as he handed her a slip of paper before walking away. Snow watched him go, her eyes glued to his backside and a glazed expression on her face.

"Visitation?" Emma asked. "I didn't know you had people who visit."

"I don't," Regina muttered as she scanned the paper in her hand. "Shit." The brunette got to her feet with a dark expression on her face, left her half eaten breakfast and walked quickly from the dining hall. Emma stood to follow.

"Don't Swan," Red advised.

"Why?" Emma said, slowly sitting back down.

"Families are complicated," the lanky brunette shrugged.

"Family?" Emma asked. "You saw the name on the paper?"

Red blushed slightly. "Well I wasn't snooping deliberately but, yeah. Cora Mills."

Emma frowned further. The person was doubtless related to Regina but she couldn't recall her girlfriend speaking of a woman named Cora.

"Just wait until she tells you in her own time," Snow said gently, standing up to clear her breakfast things. Red joined her and the two headed out of the dining hall to meet the friends waiting for them in the visitation area.

Emma was left alone at the table, her mind whirling through endless possibilities. Who was this mystery relative who had come to visit her girlfriend? Why had Regina never mentioned her before? And why was Regina so angry when she saw the name on the visitation notice? Emma dropped her fork, no longer hungry. She ran her hand through her hair and huffed in frustration. Deciding there was nothing she could do but wait, she gathered her dirty plates and deposited them in the rack before heading to the library to replenish her book supply and see French.

"Hey, how was Peter?" Emma asked as Red walked back into the bunk an hour later. She closed her book and sat up cross legged, waiting to hear about her friend's ex.

"Great! He broke up with his skanky girlfriend at last," Red grinned.

"But you're not interested in him, are you?" Emma asked, confused.

"No, but he deserved better than her," Red explained.

"And, erm, did you see Regina in there?" Emma asked.

Red looked sympathetically at her friend. "Swan, just let her tell you ok? I may not be on board with this relationship but I'm not going to poison you against Mills."

"Poison me against her?" Emma's eyebrows raised. "Why? What happened at visitation?

"It's not for me to say, Swanny please."

"Red, I need to know what's going on between Regina and her family."

"Then ask your girlfriend why her mother would drive all the way out to this hellhole only to sock her daughter in the mouth and leave."

Emma's jaw dropped. "Her mother? Her mother hit her?" Red nodded mutely. "Where is she?"

"Infirmary," Red said. "Her lip split open and Fa took her to get stitched up."

Emma jumped to her feet and sprinted out of the room without another word.

"Regina?" Emma cried as she burst into the infirmary moments later.

"Miss Swan, what do you think you're doing?" Doctor Fisher asked as the blonde rushed across the room towards the brunette. Regina was sat up on a bed, a grumpy expression on her face with Fisher standing next to her holding a suture needle.

"Sorry Doc, just wanted to see if Mills was ok."

"I'm fine, Emma," Regina mumbled, the swelling of her lip restricting her speech slightly.

"Like hell you are," Emma said, moving to stand on the other side of Regina as Fisher tied off the last stitch and moved to clean the wound once more. "What happened? Red said you got punched."

Regina nodded and gestured to her lip, unable to speak whilst Fisher dabbed at the wound.

"Will you tell me what happened?" Emma asked. Regina nodded. "When we get out of here?" Another nod. "Doc," Emma said, turning to Fisher, "when can she leave?"

"Now," declared Fisher as she finished cleaning around Regina's lip.

"Thanks," Emma said, reaching out to help Regina who was moving off the bed instantly.

"I don't need your help Emma," Regina snapped. "I hurt my lip not my leg."

Emma moved back but stayed close behind as the brunette strode out of the infirmary.

They walked in silence through the prison, Regina glaring at any inmate who looked twice at her injury. Emma knew where they were going and decided to keep quiet until the chapel door was closed behind them.

"Regina?" Emma asked as and moved towards her girlfriend.

Regina was stood in the middle of the room, stock still with her back to Emma. As the blonde walked around to stand in front her, she was shocked to see tears running down her face.

"Hey, what's wrong?" she asked as she gathered Regina into her arms. The brunette sank into the embrace, crying quietly as she tried to control her emotions. Emma waited patiently, stroking Regina's back and hair as her girlfriend composed herself.

"My mother," Regina whispered as she pulled back and wiped her face. "She found out about you somehow."

"And?" Emma asked, unsure how their relationship had led to Regina's busted lip.

"She's never accepted that I'm gay," Regina explained, leading Emma over to sit on some chairs. "She called me a dyke and told me I'd disgraced the family name. She said she wished she'd kept West instead of me and then she punched me in the face." Fresh tears streamed down Regina's cheeks.

"Why did you go and see her?" Emma asked, gently wiping away the fallen tears.

"She came a few weeks ago," Regina admitted. "I refused to see her then but what with her persisting … I figured she wanted to make amends."

"Amends for what?" Emma asked.

"For kicking me out of the house when I was eighteen after she caught me and Danielle in my bed. I have barely spoken to her since that night when I packed my bags and left my childhood home. I was so stupid for thinking she might finally love me for me and accept my sexuality," Regina growled, balling her hands into fists.

"You're not the stupid one here, your mother is," Emma said firmly. "It's her loss if she's cut you out of her life, Regina. You're amazing and who you choose to have sex with has no bearing on you as a human being. You don't need someone like that in your life babe. She doesn't deserve to call you her daughter."

"She wants me to be the perfect heiress she was moulding me into my entire life. I was supposed to take over the family stables. My father taught me everything he knew and I was expected to become the next great Mills racehorse trainer. My mother never cared for the creatures, only the money they made her so when my father died and I left a few month later, she realised she had a problem. She called me several times in the months after the funeral, asking me to come back and work for the Mills stables again but there was always a condition: I had to break up with Danielle before I returned."

"And you wouldn't," Emma said, slowly.

Regina shook her head. "I loved her. I met her at our stable yard and there was no way I was going to return there without her. I turned my mother down time after time and eventually she stopped asking. I hadn't seen her since my trial until a few weeks ago. She didn't even attend most court dates but I saw her leaving the gallery as I was taken away after my sentencing. I never knew a mother could be so cold."

"My mother left me on the side of a highway," Emma admitted quietly. "I don't know who my parents are, just that they didn't want me from the moment I was born."

Regina reached to grasp Emma's hands. "We're better off without them Emma," she said, defiantly.

The blonde nodded and leaned forward to place a soft kiss on the side of Regina's lip. The brunette winced slightly as the corner of Emma's mouth touched her fresh wound.

"Sorry," Emma said. "I couldn't resist."

"You're forgiven," the brunette smiled, moving to kiss her girlfriend once more, disregarding the pain it caused and revelling in the soft lips beneath her own.

"Who told her?" Emma asked suddenly, pulling back from Regina.

"Who told who what?"

"Who told your mother about me?" Emma asked again.

"West," Regina said. "At least, I'd assume it would be her. She's always wanted to work for the stables but my father would never allow it and she's got no skills when it comes to training. She didn't even know about the business until she moved to the States a few years ago and ever since then she's been after the family fortune. She probably thinks if I'm out of the picture she'll be next in line."

"Well from what your mother said, I suppose she's closer to it than ever before."

Regina scoffed. "She's welcome to it. I don't care for money."

"That's easy to say when you come from it," Emma replied. "I would have done anything for enough cash to put a roof over my head when I ran away from home. I had no trust fund to fall back on. I had to make my own way on the streets."

"So did I," Regina argued. "My mother cut me off when she found out about Danielle. I've not had a penny from her since that day. I created a business and managed it successfully to make my fortune."

"You were a drug dealer Regina," Emma scoffed. "Don't glamorise it."

Hurt by Emma's biting comments, Regina looked away and didn't answer.

"I'm sorry," Emma said after a long pause. "I didn't mean it like that. Talking about my family always makes me angry"

"I know," Regina replied, quietly. "Me too."

"Hey," Emma said, waiting for Regina to face her once more. "You want to forget everything that happened this morning and recommence our interrupted date from two weeks ago?"

Regina smiled again. She loved how her girlfriend knew exactly what she needed to take her mind off her messed up family. "Yes please."

"Great," Emma smiled, standing up and pulling Regina to her feet.

"Where are we off to?" Regina asked as she slipped her hand into Emma's and the two of them headed to the chapel door.

"The library," Emma said.

"You've already taken on a date there. Running out of ideas already, Miss Swan?" Regina teased.

"Firstly, we're not eating pot noodle so it's different. And secondly," Emma said, lowering her voice to a whisper, "when you call me Miss Swan it makes me wet."

Regina growled at the blonde's words, a familiar tension coiling in her abdomen at the thought. "You play dirty, Emma," Regina muttered as they walked through the corridor, still hand in hand.

"Oh you have no idea, Miss Mills," Emma whispered back.

"Hey French, Red," Emma greeted as she and Regina entered the library.

The taller woman jumped off the desk from where she'd been reclining in front of French and the latter hastily wiped her mouth. Regina raised an eyebrow but said nothing.

"Hi ladies," French greeted, standing up. "What can I help you with?"

"Can we grab a portable CD player please," Emma asked.

"Sure," French grinned, reaching under the table and handing over an old Sony walkman.

"What's that for?" both Red and Regina said at the same time.

"Music," Emma replied simply, taking hold of Regina's hand and dragging the confused older woman to the back corner where a couple of soft chairs were.

"Wait here," she instructed after pulling a chair out for her girlfriend.

Emma was gone for less than a minute before she reappeared with a tottering stack of CDs. Placing them carefully on the table, she sat beside Regina and gestured to the pile.

"You pick first," she said.

"What?" Regina asked.

"I want to know what sort of music you like and since I don't have an iPod or access to YouTube, this was the next best thing. So, pick."

Regina hesitated before grinning broadly. "This is an excellent idea Emma," she said as she reached for a few of the CDs. "Ooh, this one!" she exclaimed, holding up Imagine Dragons' first album.

"Great choice," Emma complimented, opening the walkman and clicking in the disc. She closed it, pressed play, and handed one earbud to Regina before slipping the other into her own ear. As the melody filtered through, both women smiled and their fingers interlaced as they settled back to enjoy the music.


	24. Phone Calls

Warm water ran in rivulets down Emma's body as the blonde stared at her stomach. Sliding her hand over the smooth skin, she tried to determine whether it had grown since her previous inspection in the shower the day before. Tilting her head to the side, she watched as droplets trailed down her body, gathering weight before dropping to the floor as they reached just below her naval. She was definitely bigger, she realised, giving her abdomen one final rub before she got on with shampooing her hair.

Pulling on her baggy prison uniform, Emma exited the shower stall and observed herself in the bathroom mirror, jostled by the many inmates on either side of her also getting ready for work and grumbling about Mondays. There was no way anyone would suspect her pregnancy in that outfit. The material hung shapelessly from her breasts, dropping down and giving her body no form at all. For once, Emma was glad they were forced to wear the uniform. Combing her damp hair and brushing her teeth, she checked her appearance one final time and headed for work.

"How do you make a call in here?" Emma asked.

Boyd looked up from her laundry load, surprised. "You've been inside over two months. How have you never made a call before?"

Emma shrugged. "Don't have many people on the outside."

"Ok. So who do you want to call now?" Boyd asked, curious.

"An old friend."

"An old boyfriend?" Boyd asked, winking. Emma had told her about the pregnancy after she returned from the hospital and the other blonde had asked whether Neal knew he was going to be a father.

"I told you," Emma said, exasperated. "I don't know where Neal is and even if I did, I don't want him to know. It's not like he'd take care of the kid anyway."

"So who are you calling?" Boyd asked again.

"A friend," Emma repeated.

"Ok," Boyd said, slowly. "Well you can buy phone chips from commissary. One minute is one cent."

"Thanks," Emma said, finishing loading her machine and wiping her brow. The heat from all the machines and dryers made the laundry room stifling at times. "You mind if I take a quick break now?"

"The call's that important?" Boyd asked. Emma nodded mutely. "OK, I'll cover for you if a CO comes to check on us."

"Thanks," Emma grinned as she scooted out of the room.

Emma tapped her nails impatiently against the phone booth as she heard the automated message about prison charges play through, waiting for the caller to accept.

"Hello?" came a distant voice after a few seconds. Emma hadn't heard from her in two years but she recognised her friend immediately.

"Lily, hi it's Emma," the blonde said, leaning back against the wall and praying the other woman wouldn't hang up. There was a long pause.

"Emma Swan?"

"Yeah."

"What the fuck are you doing in jail?" Lily asked.

"Men are dicks," Emma said shortly.

Lily laughed. Emma had missed that sound. "Well I did try to convince you of that three years ago but you weren't so sure."

"I'm in agreement now."

"You met someone?" Lily asked, a hint of jealously evident in her tone.

"Yeah," Emma admitted.

"I hope she deserves you Emma," Lily said. "I didn't and I'm sorry for leaving the way I did."

"It's all forgiven Lils," Emma assured. "We were young and stupid and didn't have a clue what we were really doing. Don't feel guilty, honestly."

"Thanks," Lily said quietly. There was another pause. "So, what can I do for you? I assumed you didn't call just to chat."

"No," Emma admitted. "I need a favour."

"Sure. What is it?"

"I need you to get a phone number for me," Emma explained. "Her name is Cora Mills and she works with racehorses. I can't imagine she'd be too hard to find on google."

"Hang on," Lily said. "Let me plug in my hands free and I'll search now for you."

"Ooh, look at you with your fancy phone," Emma teased.

"What can I say, my sugar mummy treats me well."

Emma laughed and waited as she listened to rustling and tapping whilst Lily plugged in her headphones.

"Ok, let me check. Cora Mills. Racehorses. Know the state?"

"No," Emma frowned, realised she didn't know where her girlfriend had been born and making a mental note to ask later.

"Gimme a minute," Lily said.

Emma waited nervously. She had toyed with the idea of contacting Regina's mother all weekend but when she had seen the brunette's wounded lip that morning, her mind had been made up.

"Got it!" came Lily's triumphant voice. "You have a pen Emma?" she asked. The blonde replied in the affirmative and scribbled the digits on the palm of her hand.

"Thank you so much Lily, I owe you one," Emma said, capping her pen and slipping it back into her pocket.

"No problem, Emma. Just do me one favour."

"Anything," Emma said.

"Don't be a stranger. I missed you." The line went dead and Emma slowly replaced the receiver. She took a moment to recall her relationship with her ex girlfriend. They had been so young, so carefree. It was just fun for Emma. At the time she didn't even know if she was into girls and their experimenting was never serious. But now Emma was starting to think perhaps the relationship meant more to Lily than it had to her. Vowing to make it up to her friend in the future, Emma took a deep breath before lifting the telephone once more and dialling the number scribbled on her hand.

"Don't you think Maleficant looks an awful lot like Faery?" Regina mused as she and Emma walked back to their bunks hand in hand. They had crammed into the overpacked television room as they did every Monday to watch Once Upon A Time. The brunette glanced sideways at her girlfriend when she received no answer. "Emma, did you hear me?"

"What?" Emma started, turning to looked at Regina and quickly fixing a smile on her face. "Sorry."

"Are you ok?" Regina asked.

"Fine."

"I don't believe you," Regina said, just as they reached her bunk. Arendelle II (as Emma has christened her) was nowhere to be seen so the brunette pulled Emma inside and the two of them sat on her bed. "You've been acting odd all afternoon. Honey, please tell me what's going on. Is it the baby?"

"No," Emma assured her. "Everything is fine, I promise."

Regina looked sceptical but nodded her head. She didn't want to push her girlfriend into speaking about something she wasn't ready for.

"Ok, you want to hang out in here for a while?" the brunette asked, reclining onto her pillow and winking at Emma.

The blonde practically dove on top of her girlfriend, kissing her hard and forcing her angst away as her tongue swept across a plump lip before her mouth engulfed the flesh, sucking hard. Regina moaned, drawing Emma closer as her hands fisted in her hair. Emma's own fingers quested immediately underneath Regina's top, nails scraping teasingly up her abdomen until she reached the bottom of a lacy bra. Yanking the cup down, Emma skimmed her thumb quickly over a hardening nipple before pinching it between her fingers. Regina groaned and arched into the touch. Emma bit the lip still nestled in her mouth and pulled backwards, drawing the skin with her until she let go and it sprung back into place. The blonde looked down wide eyed at her girlfriend, lipstick smeared all over her mouth and her eyes black with arousal.

Their mouths reconnected as Emma's hand continued to harshly squeeze Regina's breast and play with her sensitive bud. Regina's hand slid down Emma's back, toying with the waistband of her pants but staying on the outside of the material as they slipped further down to palm both ass cheeks, squeezing lightly before giving the right one a little slap. Emma yelped and bit down on Regina's tongue currently plundering her mouth.

"Oh my God!" came a voice from behind them.

Emma shot up and off Regina, moving quickly across the room and standing with her back to the wall. Regina wiped her mouth and combed her fingers through her tousled hair. As the blonde watched her girlfriend clean up, she realised she probably should too and mimicked Regina's actions.

Arendelle I and II stood in the doorway.

"Sorry," Regina said, nonchalantly. "We weren't expecting company."

"We'll be back in five minutes," said Arendelle II icily. "I'll let you say your goodbyes." The two women retreated, their loud whispering drifting back into the bunk as soon as they left.

"Sorry," Regina said again, turning to Emma. "I didn't think she'd be back so soon."

"It's ok," Emma smiled, moving back to sit beside her girlfriend again. "It was pretty hot whilst it lasted."

"It certainly was," Regina smiled saucily. "You've never been quite so … aggressive before."

"Was it too much?" Emma asked.

"Not at all dear. On the contrary, if we hadn't been interrupted I think my tongue would be between your legs right at this moment."

Emma groaned. "Well at least you've distracted me from what I was thinking about before. Now I'll have the memory of you going down on me to fall asleep to."

"You sure you don't want to talk about it?" Regina asked again.

"Oral sex?"

Regina laughed but then looked serious once more. "Whatever was bothering you." Emma shook her head. "OK. I just want you to know I'm here for you whenever you need anything."

"I know, babe. Thank you."

Their mouths reconnected, slower and more sensuous this time as their lips moved gently over one another.

"I should go," Emma whispered as they broke apart.

"I wish you didn't have to," Regina said, stroking Emma's cheek gently.

"Me too. But until we get Arendelle II to request a bunk transfer because of all the lesbian sex we're forcing her to witness, I guess we're stuck."

"Now there's an idea," Regina said salaciously.

Emma laughed and stood up, moving away from her girlfriend before she could be tempted by the way the brunette was running her tongue over her kiss swollen lips.

"Goodnight Regina."

"Goodnight Emma."

"Oh, before I forget," Emma said, popping her head back around the archway seconds later. "What state are you from?"

"Maine, why?" Regina said.

"Just a conversation I had earlier made me realise I never knew where you were born. Night babe."

"Night," Regina repeated, blowing a kiss to her girlfriend before she disappeared once more.

Emma flopped down on her bed on Friday afternoon, relieved the work week was over. As she reclined, she heard something crumple beneath her. Groping with her hand, she felt a piece of paper and pulled it out from behind her, unfolded it and read.

Inmate Number: 108412

Inmate Name: Swan

Visitation Date: Saturday 25th April 2015

Visitor's Name: Cora Mills

"Shit," Emma mumbled. This was really happening. She hadn't expected the older woman to actually come after their phone conversation earlier in the week. In less than twenty-four hours she would be sat in front of her girlfriend's homophobic mother. Maybe this wasn't such a good idea.

"Hey," Red said as she walked in, covered in soil from her latest gardening escapade. "Someone visiting you?" she asked as she spotted the visitation slip lying on Emma's chest. The blonde nodded but didn't say anything.

"You gonna tell me who?" Red asked as she rummaged in her cabinet for her toiletries. Emma shook her head. "Fair enough, I guess I'll just find out when I go to see Granny."

Emma nodded once more. She knew Red would try and talk her out of the meeting but she also knew her bunkmate would recognise the woman tomorrow as Regina's assailant. Deciding she didn't need another person's opinion on her stupid plan, Emma stood and headed out of their bunk to find her girlfriend for dinner.

Emma walked slowly behind her friends as they headed to visitation. She had mumbled some excuse about needing to sort out a problem with her commissary fund to Regina at breakfast. She hated that she was lying to someone who trusted her but she also knew Regina would never let her meet with her mother. Snow had said nothing and Emma suspected Red had told her friend to not bother asking after their wordless exchange the previous evening.

The women signed their names before Red and Snow moved quickly into the room to find their relatives. Emma watched as Red's Granny gave her a peck on the cheek whilst Snow's father engulfed her in a bone crushing hug. Glancing around at the few empty chairs, it didn't take Emma long to work out who Cora Mills was.

The woman wore an impeccable suit, her hair twisted up into a tight bun and her make up highlighted eyes that were the exact shade of brown as Regina's. Instead of the usual affection and warmth Emma was used to seeing in the chocolate orbs however, the eyes looking at her held only distain.

Taking a deep breath, Emma walked up to the table and held out her hand.

"Good morning Mrs Mills. My name is Emma Swan and I'm your daughter's girlfriend."


	25. Mrs Mills

Cora Mills looked scathingly at the hand extended towards her and made no move to shake it. Emma shrugged and sat down in the chair opposite, smiling politely as she did so.

"Thank you for coming to speak with me," Emma said. "I wanted—"

"My daughter clearly has a type," Cora Mills said, her upper class tone sounding disdainful as she looked the blonde up and down.

"A type?" Emma asked.

"Blonde, green eyes, tall, skinny, overconfident, a trouble maker," Cora said with a wave of her hand to gesture the prison visitation room. "You look like Danielle."

Emma balked. She had never asked Regina what her ex girlfriend had looked like and she flushed at the older woman's words.

"Erm," stuttered Emma, a little thrown.

"Come on," Cora snapped impatiently. "I haven't got all day. What did you want to speak to me about that you couldn't say over the phone?"

Emma took a deep breath. "I want you to accept your daughter for who she is," the blonde stated. "Regina is an incredible woman and caring girlfriend. She doesn't deserve to be punched in the face or disowned because she is gay. She knows you don't approve but as her mother, can't you find it in your heart to love her anyway? Her sentence is almost up and I know she would like to work at the family business again when she gets released. She talks so passionately about the horses and riding and I also know you need her expertise in order for the business to maintain its excellent reputation. I think she would come back to work alongside her family if you would only understand her sexuality and accept that part of her life. Being gay won't affect her work, and it doesn't affect what an amazing woman she is."

Emma ended her speech and looked intently at the older woman. Throughout the time Emma had been speaking, the brunette had stared impassively at her, showing no signs of emotions nor understanding. There was a long pause before Cora finally spoke.

"Miss Swan," Cora began, her voice low and dangerous. "My daughter is not gay. She is not bisexual. She has a problem. A problem that is brought out when lowlifes like you force yourselves onto her. She doesn't want you. She wants a man but in prison, those are few and far between. As soon as she is out, she will never speak to you again. You're merely a way to pass the long hours inside. Do my daughter and yourself a favour and back off now before anyone gets hurt."

"Is that a threat?" Emma asked, folding her arms and straightening her back.

"It's a promise," Cora snarled. "Stay away from my daughter. Now if there isn't anything else, I will leave this hovel. Good day Miss Swan."

With that, the older woman stood and swept quickly from the room. Emma sat for a moment longer before rising and walking slowly back into the main prison block.

"Hey," Regina smiled, looking up from a magazine as Emma entered the bunk.

"What are you doing on my bed, Miss Mills?" Emma asked teasingly, moving to sit beside her girlfriend.

"I couldn't find you after breakfast and I wanted to see you," Regina said, leaning forward to place a gentle kiss on Emma's lips. "Where were you?"

"Visitation."

"You had a visitor?" Regina asked, eyebrows raised. Emma nodded but didn't speak. "Who?"

Steeling herself for the inevitable backlash, Emma closed her eyes before she spoke. "Your mother."

Silence.

"What?" came a low voice from beside her.

Emma opened her eyes and turned to look at the brunette. "Please let me explain," she said as she saw the anger on Regina's face.

"You'd better have a damn good reason," the older woman said, folding her arms.

"I phoned your mother earlier in the week and—"

"How did you get her number?" Regina asked.

"A friend," Emma answered. "And this would be a lot quicker and easier if you didn't interrupt." Regina nodded and Emma continued. "After seeing what that woman did to you last week, I wanted to speak to her. It might have been a stupid idea but I couldn't stand the thought of your only family member, aside from West, hating you for something you can't do anything about. It's not your fault you're gay. It's not even a fault. It's a natural part of who you are. And yet your mother is punishing you for it and that's so unfair. I wanted to ask her if she would reconsider accepting you, and me, regardless of our sexuality. I said if she did you might return to the family business." Regina's eyebrows rose. "I know I was probably out of line and shouldn't have gone behind your back but I couldn't stand to see you suffer any more. I care too much about you to stand aside whilst people who are supposed to love you unconditionally cause you so much pain."

Regina looked at her girlfriend, her arms still crossed. "You should have told me."

"Would you have let me go?"

"No," Regina admitted. "And for good reason. My mother is dangerous. She'll do anything to try and sabotage my relationships and showing your face has painted a target on your back. It was stupid, reckless and romantic."

Emma frowned. "Romantic?"

"Yes," Regina said, reaching for Emma's hands. "No one has ever stood up to my mother before. Not my father, not even Danielle. Everyone was scared of her so she was free to abuse me, emotionally and physically. It was a very sweet thing you did Emma but I can't agree with your decision. Firstly, we're in a relationship and going behind my back on something like this is totally unacceptable. Secondly, how do you even know I want to go back to work at the stables?"

"Do you?" Emma asked.

"Yes but that's not the point. The point is you didn't speak to me about it first. You got involved in my fucked up family and by doing so you've put yourself and your baby in the crosshairs. It was a foolish decision and I am going to have to fix it." Regina stood and moved towards the doorway.

"Where are you going?" Emma asked.

"To call my mother and try to straighten all this out," the brunette said before she headed out into the corridor.

Left alone in her room, Emma flopped down on her bed, closed her eyes and groaned. She wasn't able to wallow in her mistake for long however because moments later her bed dipped as two people sat down. Opening her eyes she looked up at Red and Snow.

"You met with Mills' mother?" Red said incredulously.

Emma nodded and sat up, her friends on either side of her.

"Are you mad?" Snow asked.

"Probably," Emma nodded.

"What the hell did you do that for?" Red asked.

"I thought it would help. I thought I could convince that bitch to accept her daughter's sexuality and stop living in the dark ages."

"Did it work?" Snow queried.

"Don't think so," Emma mumbled, rubbing her hands over her face. "Regina's gone to call her mother now. She thinks I'm in danger because I stood up to the psycho."

Red and Snow looked at each other. "Danger?" Red asked.

"Yeah but it's all talk. What could she possibly do to me that's worse than forcing me to be in prison whilst pregnant?" Emma asked.

Red and Snow looked unconvinced.

"Do you want to get lunch?" Emma asked, standing up and moving towards the door, hoping that would end the conversation. The two women nodded and followed her, taking the hint and starting a converstion about Red's Granny's latest waitress problems.

Emma poked her head around the movie room door and scanned the crowd. Spotting her bunkmate's distinctive hair, she squeezed through the inmates, ignoring the grumbles and complaints, and crouched down in front of Red and French.

"Hey guys," she said in a hushed whisper. "You seen Regina?"

"No, why?" Red asked, glancing away from the screen.

"I haven't seen her since she stormed out after our conversation this morning," Emma said, her voice a little worried.

"Well West and her three cronies are over there and none of them are covered in blood so I think she's fine," Red quipped.

"Not funny," Emma growled as she stood and headed back out of the room.

Wandering through the empty corridors, Emma peered into each room she passed and tried the inevitably locked doors. The chapel had been the first place she looked but with no joy. Running out of options, Emma headed towards the library. The room was open 24/7 but seemed empty when the blonde walked inside. Just to be sure, she ducked down and scanned the floor. A pair of boots could be seen in the far corner. Emma stood and headed towards the comfy chairs where she and Regina had listened to Imagine Dragons the week before.

"Hey," Emma said softly as she spotted the brunette.

There was no answer but Emma soon realised Regina was listening to music. Moving in front of the older woman, the blonde smiled as she saw the serene look on her girlfriend's face, her eyes closed and her lips mouthing the words to a song. Gently, she pulled one of the earbuds free. Regina jumped and sat up, relaxing as soon as she saw who it was.

"Sorry," Emma offered as she sat down opposite. "Didn't mean to startle you."

"It's ok," Regina said, pausing the music and removing the other earbud. "What's up?"

Emma frowned at the nonchalant tone. "I hadn't seen you all day. I was worried."

Regina sighed and ran a hand through her hair. "I'm fine," she said, a little shortly.

"Are you?" Emma asked. "Because I'm not. I hate it when we fight and I hate that it's my fault we're fighting. I'm so sorry Regina. I thought I was doing the right thing and clearly I was wrong. I didn't mean to get in the middle of your family business but I couldn't stand by and watch you in pain any more."

Regina extended a hand and placed it on Emma's knee, stopping her ramble.

"It's ok, Emma," she assured. "I'm sorry I didn't come and find you after I spoke to my mother. I find her very difficult to deal with and I needed some time. What you did this morning was stupid but I understand your reasoning. Just don't do it again ok?"

Emma nodded hastily and leaned forward to kiss her girlfriend.

"Did you smooth things over with your mother?" Emma asked as she pulled back.

"Hardly," Regina scoffed. "She's adamant I'm not gay and instead under the witchy powers of a certain beautiful blonde."

Emma laughed at the choice of words and use of air quotes but then stopped suddenly, remembering something. "What did Danielle look like?" she asked.

"Why?" Regina replied, frowning.

"Sorry," Emma said, realising how blunt and insensitive she had been. "I was just thinking about it earlier."

Regina nodded slowly before slipping her hand inside her pants' pocket and pulling out a photo. The edges were curling in slightly and there were creases criss-crossing the image. Regina looked lovingly at the photo before handing it over to Emma. The blonde took it, looking down into the face of her girlfriend's former lover.

Danielle wore a wide, beautiful smile. Her head was thrown back in laughter, her long brown hair cascading down her back in gentle curls and her dark brown eyes shone with happiness. Beside her, Regina looked equally content, the corners of eyes Emma knew so well crinkling as she grinned, one arm slung around Danielle's waist. From the photo, Emma could tell Danielle was far shorter than Regina and rather curvy, her feminine form pressed close against Regina's side.

"She's beautiful," Emma whispered as she looked at the picture. "You look so happy together." Raising her head, the blonde saw tears forming in Regina's eyes. "I'm sorry," Emma said, hastily handing the photo back.

"No need to apologise," Regina said, taking the image and slipping it back into her pocket. "What did my mother say to you about Danielle?"

"You know me, or your mother, too well," Emma laughed. "She said you had a type and then proceeded to describe me. For a moment I thought she might be right and you were only with me because I reminded you of Danielle or something."

"No Emma," Regina said, moving to sit sideways on her girlfriend's lap, needed to be close to her. Emma wrapped her arms around the brunette and looked up into her face. "The only way in which you remind me of Danielle is the way you make me feel. Safe, happy … loved."

"You are," Emma whispered, leaning up to kiss Regina.

Breaking the kiss, Regina stroked Emma's cheek. "But with you, those feelings are even stronger, more intense, than I've ever felt before."

"Me too," Emma smiled shyly, reaching up to pull the plump lips back towards her own.

Their mouths met once more, tongues instantly seeking the warm heat of the other as Regina's hands moved to fist in Emma's hair. She pressed her body more firmly against Emma, moaning as the blonde's hands gripped her ass as she rocked against her.

The library door banged open. Hidden from view, Regina stayed where she was, leaning her forehead against Emma's.

"We need to find a better place to meet," she complained.

Emma laughed. "I know, right!"

Regina climbed off her girlfriend and pulled Emma to her feet.

"Come on, let's head back to my bunk and see how far we can get before Arendelle II interrupts again."

Emma grinned and moved ahead of Regina, pulling the laughing brunette eagerly along by the hand.


	26. Difficult Decisions

"Can I ask you something?" Emma whispered quietly as she traced her finger up and down Regina's soft cheek.

"Of course," the brunette replied, smiling encouragingly at her girlfriend.

The two women were lying on their sides, facing each other on Regina's bed. It was late on Thursday evening and Arendelle II had pointedly told her bunkmate she would not be returning until after Scandal aired. After what she had walked in on the previous Saturday, the new inmate made sure to tell Regina when she'd be returning. The couple had enjoyed the relative privacy, although nothing beyond making out had happened in case a guard walked by, and Emma knew she would soon have to go back to her own bunk.

"Tomorrow afternoon I have my four month scan with Doctor Fisher. I was wondering if you would come with me?" Emma said, hopefully.

There was a short pause before the smile on Regina's face widened.

"I would love to Emma!" she gushed. "Thank you so much for asking me to go with you. That's really sweet."

"I usually go with Booth," Emma shrugged. "But I'd rather it was you."

"Of course," Regina smiled, reaching up to tuck a loose strand of blonde hair behind Emma's ear. "I can't wait to see your baby!"

At those words, Emma's smile faltered and she rolled onto her back. Frowning, Regina propped herself up on an elbow and looked down into the suddenly tormented face of her girlfriend.

"Emma, I'm sorry. What did I say?" Regina asked, worry evident in her tone.

"Nothing," Emma said, her eyes seeking the comfort and warmth she always found in Regina's chocolate orbs. As their eyes met, Emma felt the panic that had risen inside her lessen slightly. She took a deep breath and began to explain. "I've never seen my baby. I don't look at the ultrasounds." Regina knew better than to interrupt and instead reached to hold Emma's hand. "I'm due at the end of September but I don't get out of here until January 2016 which means I won't be able to look after my baby. If I had any family members they could be granted temporary guardianship but I have no one which means I have to give this baby up for adoption." Emma's hand drifted to her belly, a slight swell now evident if one looked carefully. "I can't look at the pictures of them, Regina. If I do, I'll never be able to say goodbye."

Tears slid down Emma's face as she spoke and Regina felt her own eyes burn slightly as she listened to her girlfriend's predicament. She moved her hand to cover Emma's, stroking lightly over the tiny bump. Emma had pushed her hand away earlier in the evening, grumbling about being fat but now she allowed the contact, fresh tears spilling as Regina reverently stroked her abdomen.

"I'm so sorry, Emma," she said, softly. "That's a horrible position to be in. I can't imagine having to give up your baby against your will."

"I have no choice," Emma said, almost angrily. "If I could, I would keep this baby, give it the best life possible, the childhood I never had. What if they go into the foster system and get put in fucked up families like I did? I know what could happen to them out there and I'm still letting them go. I can't protect my own child. What kind of mother am I?"

Regina lay back down beside Emma and pulled her now sobbing girlfriend against her, running her hands soothingly through her hair.

"Emma, we will find a way, I promise. Your baby is going to be just fine and so are you. If you want to keep him or her, we can make that happen."

"How?" Emma said, turning her tear stained face towards Regina.

"I don't know yet but I will do everything I can to keep this promise to you."

The brunette spoke with such conviction that Emma nodded, believing her girlfriend's earnest speech, and rolled back into her comforting embrace.

"Oh great," came a voice from the doorway.

Emma chuckled through her tears and sat up. "Sorry Arendelle, I was just leaving," Emma said, as she wiped her face. The intruder noticed the young woman's evident upset and had the decency to look guilty as she lay down on her bed for the night.

Looking back at Regina, the blonde laughed at the dark look her girlfriend was shooting at her bunkmate. Leaning down to kiss Regina goodnight she whispered "we can sort out getting you a new bunkmate whilst you're working out your master plan to save my baby!"

Emma wasn't exactly nervous as she sat outside Fisher's office. In fact, she felt calmer than before any of her previous visits when she had been accompanied by Booth. Regain hadn't let go of Emma's hand since the two of them had set off walking towards the infirmary, the gentle pressure comforting and familiar.

"Swan," Fisher announced, coming out of her consultation room.

The blonde stood, pulling Regina to her feet as well. The doctor raised her eyebrows as her gaze journeyed to their joined hands.

"Is it ok if Mills comes in with me?" Emma asked.

Fisher hesitated, looking at Regina who was trying her hardest not to resort to her usual tactic of glaring at anyone not complying to her request.

"Of course," the tall blonde said, standing back to let the couple walk into her office. "How have you been?" she asked after closing the door.

"Good," Emma said. "I'm starting to show and I've not had any morning sickness for weeks."

"Great. Well if you just lie back on this table then I can get started with the ultrasound."

Emma nodded and hopped up onto the reclined bed, never once letting go of Regina's hand. Rolling up her top, she lay back and glanced up at her girlfriend. The brunette was looking reverently at the swell of Emma's belly.

"Stop it," the blonde grumbled, lightly slapping Regina's arm.

"Sorry," the older woman said, placing a light kiss on Emma's cheek. "I can't help it if I think you're beautiful," she whispered as she pulled away.

"Ok, let's see how the little one is doing shall we," Fisher announced, rolling over the monitor and interrupting the couple's moment.

Squirting the gel onto Emma's stomach, the doctor moved the probe around before flicking on the screen. As soon as she did so, Emma turned her head away, looking past Regina and focusing on a poster on the wall advising women to get STI tests regularly. Fisher noticed her patient's move but said nothing, used to the blonde's behaviour during her checkups.

Regina crouched down in front of Emma, interrupting her line of sight.

"Hey," she said.

"Hi," Emma replied as she looked into her girlfriend's deep brown eyes.

"So I was thinking we could go for a walk after this?" Regina suggested, trying to distract the blonde from what the doctor was doing. "The rain from this morning has cleared up and I love the smell of the outside after a good spring shower."

"Sounds great," Emma smiled weakly.

"And I bumped into Athena in the corridor this morning who is still trying to win me over. She told me tonight's dinner is fish pie so at least we can be guaranteed a good meal this evening."

"I do like her fish pie," Emma said, smiling a little wider.

"Plus I looked at the television listings tonight and one of the channel's is showing The Breakfast Club. If we get there early enough to nab the remote, it's one of my all time favourite movies and I'd love to watch it with you."

"I've never seen it," Emma admitted.

"What?" Regina gasped, faking shock at the news. "How come?"

"When you grow up in the system not many families allow you to go to the cinema or watch lots of tv. My film knowledge in general is pretty poor."

"Well we'll have to correct that as soon as you get out. I'll make sure I have all the classics on DVD and we can binge watch them all in one weekend. Endless popcorn and soda included."

Emma laughed and Regina smiled, both women thinking about the future of their relationship.

"Emma," Regina said, gently, "can I look?" she asked, jerking her head towards the machine.

There was a moment of hesitation before the blonde nodded quickly, fixing her sight once more on the poster. Regina squeezed Emma's hand and stood up to look at the ultrasound monitor. Fisher had been listening to the quiet exchange as she worked and smiled sympathetically at the brunette. Without saying a word, the doctor pointed to a dark shadow on the screen, showing Regina the outline of the foetus.

"Thank you," she mouthed silently as the blonde woman glanced over to make sure Regina had seen it. Fisher nodded and stowed the probe before wiping the gel off Emma's stomach.

"Ok, Swan, I'm all done," she announced, carrying the chart she had made notes on over to her computer.

"Is everything ok?" Emma asked, sitting up and pulling her top back down.

"It all looks fine," Fisher smiled. "The baby is healthy and growing at the predicted rate. Your surgery scar has healed well too. Do you have any questions or anything you need to talk to me about?" The doctor knew the young woman was going through a difficult time and wanted to offer her the opportunity to talk if necessary.

"No," Emma said, sliding off the table. "I'm fine, thank you doc."

"Ok. In that case I'll see you in four weeks and don't forget to keep on taking your prenatal vitamins."

Emma nodded and smiled, moving towards the door with Regina right behind her.

"Thanks Doctor Fisher," Emma said as the two women exited the room.

Emma cursed as she reached for the laundry detergent and found the bag empty. The amount they went through per day, you'd think the prison would buy bigger packs, she mused as she closed the loaded machine door and headed down to their supply closet. Grabbing several packs, the blonde turned and gasped as she saw who stood in front of her.

"Good morning, Miss Swan," West said in her clipped British accent. "Where's your little work friend today?"

After quickly scanning for West's bodyguards and determining they were not in the vicinity she replied. "Boyd's sick," Emma growled, moving to push past the redhead.

"Ah, where do you think you're going?" West asked, grasping Emma's shoulder and spinning her around, slamming her back against the wall. The detergent packets fell to the ground with several dull thuds and Emma let out an "omph" at the impact.

"Back to work," Emma said, squirming against the firm hold. "Let me go."

"In a moment," West laughed lightly as she watched the blonde's futile attempts. The redhead was much stronger than she looked. "I'm here to deliver a message."

"Go on then," Emma spat, falling back against the wall and willing her hands not to drift subconsciously to her stomach.

"Remember a few weeks ago when I told you to stay away from my sister?" Emma nodded, her hands balling into fists. "Well, it seems you didn't listen and some people are not very happy about your dyke relationship. Now I'm not an unreasonable woman," Emma scoffed, "so I'm giving you one last warning. Stay away from Regina or you will suffer the consequences."

With that, West released Emma and stalked from the room.

"Come in," came Booth's jovial voice. "Swan, take a seat," the man smiled as Emma entered. "What can I do for you?"

Emma paused. She had been debating all day about whether to confide in her counsellor but in the end decided her baby was not worth the risk.

"I've been threatened," she said.


	27. New Frustrations

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> NSFW

"OK. Tell me what happened," Booth said, leaning back in his chair and folding his arms.

"West came into the laundry room this morning when I was working. Told me to-," Emma hesitated. She wasn't sure what Booth's reaction to her and Regina's relationship would be.

"It's ok," Booth said, smiling encouragingly. "I'm not going to judge you for your involvement with Mills."

"You know?" Emma asked, eyebrows raised.

"Fisher mentioned she accompanied you to your appointment last week. Don't worry, I'm not offended you replaced me," he said with a wink. "Plus she was present at the two fights you've been caught up in. It doesn't take a genius to work out something is going on."

"And you're ok with it?"

"Well the prison doesn't encourage relationships between inmates by any means but we know they happen and policing them is practically impossible. And on a personal level, my brother is gay and I am accepting of all sexualities."

Emma sighed with relief and nodded. "OK, so West told me to stay away from Regina, I mean Mills. You know they're half sisters right?" Booth nodded again. "Yeah so West had threatened me before. Told me to end our relationship. She's somehow got Faery, Trident and Feinberg working for her too. Ironic seeing as they were responsible for her ending up with bruises all over her and a cracked rib a couple of months ago. I didn't think there was anything to the threats but Regina believes differently. I haven't even told her about West coming to see me today yet."

"When were you first threatened?" Booth asked, leaning forward and picking up a pen to make some notes.

"I can't remember. Some time in mid-March."

"Almost two months ago. Why are you only coming to me now?"

"Because you don't want to be known as the snitch in prison," Emma scoffed. "I'd only just found out I was pregnant when they first threatened us and I really didn't need anything else on my plate. Nothing happened anyway. Not for a couple of weeks and then it was just the same old threat. They never followed through on their words and West never ordered her cronies to attack me."

"Until last month when the fight in the dining hall caused you to be rushed to emergency surgery?" Booth asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Well, technically that fight wasn't about me," Emma admitted. "Regina reacted to a dig West made about her father. I was just at the wrong place at the wrong time."

"So why are you taking West seriously now?"

Emma moved her hand to her swelling stomach. "My baby," she whispered. "I would never forgive myself if anything was to happen and I did nothing to stop it. Can you help me protect them?"

Booth nodded and placed a report form and a pen in front of Emma.

"Fill this in. Leave nothing out."

"Where were you at dinner?" Regina asked, leaning against the archway wall to Emma's bunk.

"Talking to Booth," Emma said, sitting up from her bed and gesturing for her girlfriend to come and join. Red tactfully got up and left the room.

"Why?" Regina asked, sitting down next to the blonde and looking concerned.

"West came to see me again today. Told me the same thing as before: to back off you or suffer the consequences. She wasn't with her cronies but somehow this time was more intimidating. I got scared and decided I needed to tell someone. Booth has all the information and is going to pass it along to the warden for appraisal."

Regina listened intently as her girlfriend spoke, anger bubbling inside her. She knew exactly who was behind her half sister's threat and had no doubt both were capable of seeing it through.

"What does he think the warden will do?" Regina asked.

"Depends," Emma shrugged. "I could be put in protective housing but as I'm pregnant, Booth thinks that's unlikely. West could be reassigned but as there's no evidence of physical harm and the accusation is hearsay, it's not a strong case apparently."

"Would it help if I spoke to Booth about what West said to me?" Regina asked.

Emma shook her head. "He knows your involvement in everything already so I doubt it would do any good. If anything, you have a better case actually seeing as you were beaten up by the three thugs. But that will get those losers moved rather than West since you can't prove they were acting on her behalf."

"So we just wait for them to physically hurt you?" Regina said angrily.

"I'm sure it won't come to that, babe," Emma assured her. "West is just feeling lonely or left out or some weird sibling rivalry crap. What would she gain from acting on her threats?"

"My mother," Regina stated, darkly.

"Excuse me?"

"She'd gain my mother," Regina explained. "She's behind all of this, I can tell. My mother found out about me and you through West and now that ginger bitch is her pet, doing everything she says to try and get me to break up with you so I will go back to the stables. Like that's ever going to happen. And I think West knows that actually. She also knows my mother wants a daughter, someone to take on the family business. If it can't be me, West is sloppy seconds. With me out of the picture, my psycho half sister plans to worm her way back to the family fortune."

"Shit," Emma breathed. "So we should lay low for a while?"

Regina reached for Emma's hands. "I don't want to, Emma. I really don't. But until the warden decides, I think that's the safest thing to do. I don't want to put you or your baby in harms way … again."

"I don't want to not be able to see you, speak to you, touch you," Emma sighed, pulling Regina into a hug.

"We don't have a choice," Regina mumbled against the smooth skin of the blonde's neck. "I'm so sorry Emma."

"What are you sorry for?" the younger woman asked, pulling back to look into glistening brown eyes.

"For getting you involved in my family drama."

"Hey, if this is what I have to deal with to be with you, it's worth it," Emma said, earnestly, caressing Regina's face.

"I hope you still feel that way in a few days, " Regina said with a chuckle.

"Why's that?" Emma asked.

"Because you've been hornier and hornier this past week and I'd imagine your sex drive is skyrocketing because you're pregnant. It's only going to get worse and I won't be able to … lend a hand."

Emma groaned and flopped back onto her bed. "Shit, I forgot about that," she said. "And now I can't stop thinking about it so it's probably best if you leave now before your crazy half sister spots us in here and kills the both of us."

Regina laughed, despite the potential truth behind the statement and stood up. "See you soon, honey," she said, leaning down to kiss Emma on the cheek. "Let me know as soon as you hear from Booth."

Two days. It had been two days since she had last spoken to Regina. They had been the longest two days of the blonde's life. Emma rolled over and huffed in frustration. She had been trying to fall asleep for hours and the throbbing between her legs was making it very difficult. Once Red's rhythmic breathing had filled the bunk, Emma had slid her own hand down, teased the tense bundle of nerves and attempted to bring herself to orgasm, but it was no use. She had tried to imagine her girlfriend's own fingers dancing over her clit but it hadn't work and now she was hornier than ever. Glancing at Red's clock, she saw it was just past two am. Deciding there was only one thing for it, Emma threw the blanket off herself and swung her legs out of bed.

Slipping into the corridor, she glanced up to the guard station. Nolan was fast asleep in his chair, his mouth hanging open. What Snow saw in him she would never know. Moving as quietly as possible, Emma crept down the corridor. When she reached the entrance to Regina's bunk, she looked around to make sure no one was watching and stepped inside.

The brunette lay facing away from Emma, curled up into a ball, snuggled under her blankets. Arendelle II was also, thankfully, fast asleep. Emma tip toed in and crouched down next to Regina's head. Placing a hand gently on her shoulder, she shook the older woman lightly. Regina mumbled something and stirred slightly but didn't wake. Emma shook a little harder.

"What?" Regina said, rather loudly, sitting bolt upright in bed.

"Shhhhh," Emma whispered, placing her hand over her girlfriend's mouth.

"Emma?" Regina breathed out as the blonde removed her hand. "What's wrong?" she asked, her eyes wide and worried.

"Nothing," Emma whispered. "Come with me."

Confused, Regina got out of bed and followed the blonde into the corridor. Confirming Nolan was still asleep, Emma pulled Regina into the main hallway and towards the chapel. Regina realised where they were heading and her eyes widened.

"Seriously?" she hissed.

"I need you," Emma said, looking back over her shoulder with pleading eyes.

Regina stifled a laugh. "Told you pregnancy was making your sex drive go through the roof."

"Yeah yeah, you were right," Emma said as she reached the door. "Can we get past the gloating and onto the fucking?"

"My pleasure," Regina said, closing the door behind them and pushing Emma immediately up against it.

Their mouths met hungrily. Two days without physical contact had been difficult for the brunette too. Tongues slithered over one another as teeth nipped at lips and hands tangled in hair. Regina wasted no time in reaching for the hem of Emma's top, pulling it up and tossing it aside. Her hands drew slowly up her sides before they cupped the blonde's breasts. Her nipples were already hard and increasingly sensitive. Pinching them earned a yelp from Emma and Regina mumbled an apology into their passionate kiss.

"Too sensitive," she said. "Use your mouth."

Regina grinned at the blonde's instructions. She loved it when her bedmates told her what they wanted. Peppering kisses down the blonde's heaving chest, she slid her hot tongue over the right nipple, feeling the puckered nerves hard and tender. Emma moaned and pulled the mouth closer, needing to feel the wet heat surrounding her areola. Regina complied, running her hands over Emma's stomach as she did so. It was growing slightly every day and there was now a definite bulge, still unnoticeable in the prison uniform. The brunette trailed her fingertips over the changing skin reverently.

"Please don't," Emma sighed as she felt her girlfriend's tender touch.

"It's beautiful Emma," Regina told her, firmly. "You're beautiful. Please let me show you."

The blonde nodded as she saw the earnest look in her girlfriend's eyes, faint light from the corridor illuminating her features just enough. Regina grinned and placed kisses from Emma's wet nipple down the rounded stomach to the hem of Emma's pyjama pants. Hooking her fingers into the elastic, Regina placed open mouthed kisses all over the blonde's abdomen as she pushed the pants down slender legs. She groaned as she realised her girlfriend wasn't wearing any panties. The scent of her arousal hit her nose as she moved closer.

"You're so wet!" Regina gasped as she slid her finger through Emma's folds.

"I was trying to touch myself earlier," the blonde all but cried out at the ministrations of her girlfriend. "It wasn't enough. I needed you."

Regina grinned at that and placed a kiss to Emma's left hip then her right hip, all the while sliding her finger along the dripping slit. Parting the labia, she dipped two fingertips inside Emma. A moan sounded above her and Regina smiled wider before sealing her mouth suddenly around the tight bundle of nerves. Emma's hips bucked away from the door at the sensation and Regina quickly moved her arm to pin the blonde more firmly above her.

Slender fingers twisted into her hair, pulling her closer as Regina's tongue flicked out to lave her clit. As she did so, she buried her two fingers deep inside the blonde, delighting in the tight, hot channel that now surrounded them. Waiting a moment for her girlfriend to become accustomed to the sudden intrusion, Regina pulled her fingers out slowly before pushing back in again. She established a steady rhythm as her mouth continued to move gently over the hooded clit.

Now confident Emma's hips were going to remain where they were, she slid her arm around the back of Emma's thighs, pulling herself closer. Using her spare hand, she raked her fingernails over the tender flesh of the blonde's inner thighs, moving steadily higher as she increased the speed and force of the thrusts inside Emma. As her fingertips reached the curve of Emma's ass, her hand was pistoning in and out of the drenched channel, the sound of the squelching noises making the brunette wetter as she feasted on the pussy in front of her.

Regina hesitated before she made her next moved. They had never discussed anal sex but they were both so caught up in the moment and the brunette was confident they would both find it pleasurable. Keeping the deep, hard, fast thrusts into the clenching entrance going, Regina slid her other hand forwards, gathering some of the leaking juices on her fingertips before sliding slowly up Emma's ass crack. The sound of the blonde's breath hitching told Regina her girlfriend knew what her plan was but Emma made no move to push her hand away so after a momentary pause, Regina circled the puckered hole with her slicked finger.

Emma gasped at the intimate touch, the nerves tingling in a new and exciting way. She pulled tighter on Regina's hair, silently letting her know it was ok. Regina smiled into Emma's clit, moving her tongue more softly as she eased the tip of one finger past the tight ring of the blonde's ass hole. As she pushed forward, Regina felt Emma tense so she slowed the speed of the fingers already inside her and moved her mouth away.

"Are you ok?" she asked, gently pushing a single finger in and pulling it out, very slowly.

"Yes!" Emma gasped. "Don't stop."

Regina nodded and moved her mouth back to envelope Emma's clit again. Careful not to overstimulate the nerve bundle and push the blonde to orgasm too early, Regina moved her mouth slowly until her finger was all the way inside the blonde. The feeling of the tight ring of muscles clenching around the base of her finger made Regina groan.

"Move," Emma whispered from above her.

Regina acquiesced immediately and the two fingers buried in Emma's entrance resumed their pumping action. A cry fell from Emma's lip as the fast movement, coupled with the slow push pull of Regina's finger in her ass melded together. As Regina's tongue flicked once more over her clit, her orgasm washed over her, tremors wracked her body as her sex clenched hard around Regina's fingers and her knees gave out. Regina caught her before she hit the floor, the finger slipping out of Emma's ass as her arm wrapped around her girlfriend's waist. The blonde's eyes were closed, her breathing harsh and ragged as she lay in Regina's arms. The brunette placed a tender kiss to her sweaty forehead and slowly pulled her two fingers from Emma's channel, licking the juices off them before pulling Emma closer to her.

"That was … new," Emma said after a few minutes.

"Sorry," Regina said. " I should have asked you first."

"No need to apologise," Emma grinned lazily. "It was amazing."

"I'm glad you think so," Regina smiled back, placing another kiss on her girlfriend's lips.

"I do," Emma said, pushing herself upright and rolling onto the brunette. "And now it's time to show you just how grateful I am."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: sorry for using ginger as a derogatory term. It was purely for writing purposes and I have nothing against redheads. In fact I went through a stage of only sleeping with them so … Anyways, please don't leave me nasty reviews! I'm not prejudice, honest!


	28. The Offer

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> NSWF

The weekend was torture. Without work to distract her, Emma had been unable to stop thinking about Regina. Every time they passed each other in the corridor or she saw the brunette in the dining hall, Emma wanted to walk up to her girlfriend and kiss her senseless. But she couldn't. The memory of Thursday night kept her awake into the early hours, her sex throbbing with need. Regina told Emma it was too risky for them to meet again, in case West or one of her thugs spotted them. Or a guard, for that matter. Despite Booth's acceptance, Emma and Regina both knew their relationship was not technically allowed and COs had the power to separate two women who were seen to be overly close.

For once, Emma sighed with relief as the new week arrived. She relished the manual labour and got increasingly annoyed with Boyd who seemed to consider Emma incapable of lifting anything heavier than a pillow case now she was pregnant. On Friday morning she snapped, shouting at the blonde to back off and leave her alone before storming off to the far end of the laundry room.

Emma leaned against the cool wall and sighed. Her hormones had been all over the place recently and her separation from Regina wasn't helping. The brunette had a way of making her feel calm and safe but without being able to spend time with her girlfriend, Emma had been increasingly agitated. She knew she needed to apologise to her friend but wanted a moment to cool off. As she was taking some slow, calming breaths, Arendelle entered and grinned when she spotted Emma.

"Hi," she said, still overly friendly despite her sister giving the couple the cold shoulder whenever possible.

"Hey," said Emma through gritted teeth.

"I've got a message for you from Booth," Arendelle grinned. Did she ever stop smiling?

"What?" Emma asked.

"He wants you to meet him after his shift today. He said to tell you he's heard back from the warden."

"Thanks," Emma mumbled, pushing herself off the wall and walking back towards an inevitably sulking Boyd.

"What did you need to speak to the warden about?" Arendelle called after her.

"None of your business," Emma snapped over her shoulder.

"So it's not just me you're yelling at today?" Boyd said, arching an eyebrow as Emma walked back into view.

"I'm sorry," Emma started. "My hormones are going haywire at the moment. I know that isn't an excuse for shouting at you. You're only looking out for me but I'm honestly fine. Until the doc says otherwise, I'm going to continue working as I have been. I don't feel any back pain yet. I'm barely starting to show," Boyd raised her eyebrows higher. "What? You think I'm showing?" Emma asked panicked.

Boyd laughed at her friend's reaction. "Maybe it's just because I know but, well let's just say you'll struggle to keep it a secret much longer."

"Great," Emma grumbled. "Now I'm fat, angry, and not able to see my girlfriend."

Boyd smiled sympathetically and put an arm around Emma's shoulders. "Come on, let's go and nab the best towels from the wash I just did."

"Come in," Booth's low voice called and Emma turned the handle to enter the familiar office. Stood beside Booth was a small man Emma had never seen before. She faltered in her step before her counsellor smiled encouragingly and gestured for Emma to take her usual seat.

"Miss Swan," Booth said. "This is Warden Gold. He wanted to speak to you personally."

"Nice to meet you," Emma said meekly, stretching out her hand to shake Gold's.

Gold was rather short and wiry, his greying hair hanging limply in a too long cut and he was leaning rather heavily on a cane. His eyes were small, dark and cold and his nose overly pointy. Grey stubble spread across his cheeks and chin, giving him an unkept air despite the expensive suit he was wearing. Emma thought he looked rather impish, and certainly not the authoritative figure one would expect to be in charge of a prison.

"As I told you last week, Mr Gold has seen your complaint and considered his options. He wanted to talk with you personally about your options."

"Indeed Miss Swan," Gold said, his Scottish accent surprising Emma as she turned her attention to him. "I read what Miss West said to you and I have two problems with your complaint. Firstly, the relationship she is threatening is against prison policy." Emma opened her mouth to speak but stopped when Gold held up a hand. "Now I'm not here to discipline you or Miss Mills, although you both need to be aware your behaviour is not allowed inside FCI. However, it would be very difficult for me to do anything even without the other problem because of this relationship."

"What other problem?" Emma asked. This was not sounding promising.

"The lack of evidence," Gold stated. "It is simply hearsay. I have spoken to all of my COs and they in turn have spoken to West, Faery, Feinberg and Trident, all of whom deny the allegations."

"You spoke to them?" Emma said, panicked. "Now they're going to know I snitched. Please Warden Gold, you have to do something to protect me and my baby."

"I'm very sorry Miss Swan, but my hands are tied. I am unable to move any of the four women but I do have another offer for you."

"Go on," Emma said slowly.

"We can transfer you. There's a unit nearby which specialises in pregnant inmates and they have some space. You would have access to more medical attention and the jobs onsite require less manual labour."

"No," Emma said.

"Swan," Booth said kindly, "I really think you should consider this offer."

"I'm not leaving Regina here to fend for herself. And I'm guessing she won't be able to move with me as she's not stupid enough to get herself knocked up."

Gold shook his head. "The offer is only for you," he confirmed.

"Then I'm staying put," Emma said, defiantly. "I'll take my chances."

"Ok," said Gold, nodding slowly. "It's your decision and we do still have a duty of care over both you and your baby so please don't think this means you're on your own. But let me advise you that both Booth and I think this offer is the best option. We have a well trained staff base here but we cannot be everywhere. If West decided to make good on her threat, she will find a way to do so."

"If you think that's even a possibility then why the hell are you keeping her in this prison. She's killed before, what makes you think she won't do it again?"

"My hands are tied," Gold shrugged. "Without solid evidence, I cannot do anything except move the victim and since you're refusing our offer, we're at a deadlock."

Emma sighed. "Ok, I get it," she said, running her hand through her hair. "Thanks anyway." She got up to leave.

"Swan," Booth called after her. "If anything else happens, come straight to me and we'll reopen the case."

Emma nodded and left the room.

"Guess who," Emma husked, placing her hands over Regina's eyes.

A smile spread over the brunette's face as she recognised her girlfriend's voice, touch, and the vague scent of the cherry body wash the younger woman was so fond of. She was lying on her stomach on her bed, her nose deep in an old crime book French had dug up for her.

"Someone who's supposed to be keeping away from me?" Regina teased, reaching up to pull the hands covering her face down and turning over to look into the bright green eyes she'd missed so much.

"I met with Booth just now," Emma said, reaching for Regina's hand. "Come with me and I'll fill you in."

Regina stood from her bed and followed the blonde immediately into the corridor, their hands still clasped.

"So, I'm guessing from the fact that you've not snuck into my room in the dead of night, it's good news?" Regina said, her voice hopeful.

"Not exactly," Emma said through gritted teeth.

"Then why are we holding hands walking down the corridors in broad daylight?" Regina asked, pulling her fingers from Emma's grip.

"Because I can't not be with you for the next four months," Emma said, turning around and pulling Regina into her arms and hugging her tight. The brunette hugged her back, knowing her girlfriend needed the contact but not understanding why.

"Let's get to the chapel and you can fill me in," she whispered in Emma's ear before she pulled away and reached for the blonde's hand once more.

In less than a minute, Regina was pushing the door open. Thirty pairs of eyes turned to look as the door banged open and the couple stood frozen in the doorway. One pair narrowed as they took in the clasped hands.

"Sorry," Emma muttered, "didn't realise you had a service."

The two women backed out quickly and looked at each other, red faced. It had been obvious to every Christian in that room what those two women did in their sacred place.

"Library?" Emma suggested. Regina nodded and they hurried back the way they came, not stopping until they had reached the two comfy chairs at the back and made sure French knew not to disturb them.

"What happened? What did Booth and Gold say? What was that about four months?" Regina asked as soon as they sat down.

"How do you know Gold was there?" Emma asked.

"Because he loves a good bit of gossip about me," Regina spat.

"About you?"

"He always suspected I was dealing drugs in his prison but could never prove it. He hates me," Regina shrugged.

"Making enemies with the warden, smart move."

"Haha," Regina deadpanned. "Can we get back to what they said please?"

"Right, sorry," Emma said. "Ok, so they can't move West or her thugs. There's not enough evidence or some shit. The only thing they can do is offer me a transfer. Apparently there's a specialist facility for pregnant inmates not too far from here who could take me if I felt I was in danger."

"You're leaving?" Regina asked, her heart plummeting.

"No, no, of course not," Emma said quickly, squeezing Regina's knee with her hand and leaning forward in her chair. "I turned down the offer. Told them I wouldn't leave you."

Tears pricked Regina's eyes as she looked into the earnest face of her girlfriend. "So what was that about not being able to be with me for four months?"

Emma frowned. "Well, that was more about you." At Regina's confused expression, Emma continued. "You get out mid-August, remember?"

"Shit," Regina breathed. After over two and a half years counting down the time she had left, the brunette realised she had completely lost track of her sentence length. Meeting Emma, ending her drug business, her escalating feud with her half sister and the loss of her body guards, and finding out her girlfriend was pregnant culminated in Regina all but forgetting her time inside was coming to an end.

"I know," Emma nodded. "Thanks for getting caught about six weeks too early."

"What?"

"If you'd been arrested six weeks later, you'd get out after I give birth," Emma shrugged. "But as it is, I'm going to be alone."

Regina pulled Emma into a hug, needing to feel the strong beat of Emma's heart against her own chest. "I so wish I could be there for you, honey," she whispered into Emma's ear. "You shouldn't have to go through that alone."

"I'm used to it," Emma said, pulling back. "I'll be ok, promise. But I'm not going to spend the rest of the time we do have together hiding. It's been ten days, Regina. Ten days without being able to kiss you whenever I want. Without being able to talk to you about my day. Laugh with you. Say goodnight every evening. I don't want to lose any more of the precious time we have together. I don't care what your sister or your mother threaten us with. We're stronger together and I don't want to cower at the hands of two bullies."

Regina smiled lovingly at the defiant woman in front of her. Placing a lingering kiss on Emma's lips, Regina rested her forehead against the blonde's. "I don't either," she said. "I want to be with you Emma but I don't want this, us, to end when I get out. It won't be easy, but I think we can keep this going. I want to keep us going. I'll wait for you, those five months until you get out too, and then we can start a life together. Somewhere far away from here, from my family, from everyone who knows us."

A brilliant, radiant smile spread of Emma's face. "That sounds perfect, Regina," she said, kissing her girlfriend with all the passion she could. Regina groaned and leaned back in her chair, pulling Emma onto her lap where she straddled the brunette's hips and pressed her body against the older woman beneath her. Their tongues battled relentlessly as Emma's fingers slipped immediately under Regina's waistband. It had been too long since she had touched her girlfriend. The angle was a little awkward but neither of them cared and soon two fingertips were skating through wet folds. Regina leaned backwards and opened her legs as far as she could with Emma's knees on either side of her hips.

"Thanks," Emma mumbled, her tongue pausing its stroking of Regina's before licking a line up to the tender spot below the brunette's ear. Placing a gentle kiss to the skin, Emma ran the tip of her tongue up the shell of Regina's ear before dipping inside and swirling around. The magnified noise made the brunette groan and a flood of wetness coated the fingers now teasing her entrance. Emma grinned as she licked down her girlfriend's neck and placed light kisses along the collarbone as she suddenly pushed two fingers hard inside Regina. A gasp escaped, followed by a low moan of pleasure, making Emma's insides clench. Setting a steady pace with her fingers, Emma reached under Regina's top and quickly pushed up her bra cup to tease a nipple. Using her thumb and forefinger, she twisted and pinched the sensitive bud, drawing a string of soft curses from the plump lips. Feeling the brunette's tight channel clench around her fingers, Emma twisted her hand, moving her fingers out slightly so she could press the heel of her palm firmly against the throbbing bundle of nerves she had so far neglected. Regina lunged forward and bit down on Emma's shoulder, muffling her scream as her orgasm washed over her.

Emma smiled in satisfaction as she slowed her hand and gave the tortured nipple a final flick, earning a gasp from Regina who released her girlfriend's shoulder from between her teeth and glared up at Emma's cocky face.

"Ouch," Regina stated.

"Sorry," Emma laughed, not sounding sorry at all.

Regina scowled before she grasped the back of Emma's thighs and stood up. The blonde yelped and wrapped her arms quickly around Regina's neck.

"Wow!" Emma exclaimed, impressed at the display of strength.

"You'll be saying more than wow when I'm finished with you," Regina promised, placing Emma on the table and dropping to her knees.

Emma bit her lip as she realised what Regina's plans were. Glancing in the direction of the door and checking there was still no one nearby, she lifted her ass and helped the brunette slide her pants and panties down. Regina wasted no time in pressing her face between Emma's parted legs.

"Oh God, I've missed you," Emma cried as Regina's tongue swiped over her clit. Already aroused from touching Regina, the blonde knew she wasn't going to last long. Grasping the back of Regina's head, Emma attempted to stop herself bucking her hips forward into the magical mouth working between her legs. Regina's tongue slithered between her labia, sliding along the length of her slit and circling the hole at the bottom before moving back up and covering the hooded bundle. Regina's hands were firmly on Emma's hips, determined only to use her mouth to make her girlfriend come. Forming a seal around the clit, Regina alternated slow, tender licks with harder flicks using the tip of her tongue. Her name spilled from Emma's lips as the thighs on either side of her head tightened suddenly. Sucking harder, Regina pressed the flat of her tongue directly over Emma's clit, keeping a constant pressure then wiggling the muscle quickly back and forth.

Emma couldn't stop the scream that escaped her lips. Regina's hand flew up to try and cover her mouth but both women hear the sound of footsteps approaching moments later.

"Shit," Regina muttered, pulling her face away from the pulsating sex and wiping her mouth. She tried to pull up Emma's panties and pants but the blonde had collapsed back onto the table in the wake of her orgasm and the brunette struggled to wrestle them up just in time for French to round the corner.

"Are you guys - oh," she stopped short, taking in Emma's position and heaving chest along with Regina's mussed hair and slightly moist chin. "Sorry."

"Didn't Miss Swan tell you we were not to be disturbed?" Regina snapped, annoyed she had been denied the chance to induce a second orgasm in her girlfriend.

"It's ok French," Emma said, pushing herself up. "Sorry about, well, you know. We're leaving."

"Why did you apologise?" Regina hissed as soon as French had turned to walk away.

"Because my friend basically walked in on us having sex in her place of work," Emma shrugged, hopping off the table and straightening her pants before heading to the door.

"Fine, but I'm leaving that little puddle of your juices on the table for her to find later," Regina grinned.

Emma groaned and turned back, using a tissue in her pocket to wipe up her come.

"Spoil sport," Regina teased.

The two walked back through the prison to the dining hall hand in hand.

"So we're going public again?" Regina asked.

"I don't think it matters now," Emma shrugged. "Feinberg clocked us when we burst into the chapel. West will already know we're still together. Let's just enjoy each other whilst we can. Anything that happens, we'll deal with. As a couple," Emma added, placing a delicate kiss to Regina's cheek just as they entered the dining hall for the evening meal.


	29. Remembering Henry

"What do you think you'll do for work when you get out?" Emma asked, turning to face Regina.

The two women were sat at the far end of the yard, watching the sun slowly sink in the sky on Sunday evening. West had stayed away from the couple all weekend, although both women knew the redhead had seen them together several times over the past two days. It gave Emma hope that perhaps the threats were empty words. Regina was less optimistic.

"I've not really thought about it," Regina admitted. "It's hard to get a job with a criminal record so I'd probably have to work for myself."

"You'd set up a business?" Emma asked.

"Horses probably," Regina nodded. "I have the skill set, and the money I have saved from dealing in here would be more than enough to buy some land and get a few fillies."

"Fillies?" Emma asked.

"Young female horses. You buy them at about a year to begin racehorse training. It's obvious pretty early on if they have what it takes. If they don't, we can use them for breeding. I have contacts with stud farms all over the country so I can hire stallions in whenever I need them."

"You only work with female horses?" Emma asked, raising an eyebrow.

Regina laughed. "I prefer to. The fewer dicks around me, the better."

Emma chuckled. "That's all men are good for I suppose, making babies." Her hand settled on her swelling baby.

"Pretty much." Regina placed her hand over Emma's, loving the feel of the bump that was growing every day.

"Your father," Emma began and Regina's head snapped towards her, her hand withdrawing. "Sorry, I don't want to upset you but you speak about him as if you were close. You obviously admired him as a trainer too and want to follow in his footsteps."

"Yes," Regina said, her eyes glistening slightly.

"Can you tell me about him?" Emma asked.

Regina nodded slowly and turned away to look out over the yard. There were a few inmates still milling around but most had headed to the dining hall for their evening meal.

"He was amazing," the brunette began. "We were inseparable, from the moment he put me in the saddle when I was two years old. When I was four, he bought me my first pony, a little shetland called Rocket. He was such a cheeky steed but my father and I re-schooled him together and by the time I was seven we were winning state competitions. Rocket and I made a great team. My mother never spent much time around the horses and, as I was always at the stables, my father basically raised me. He was so kind and considerate. He had a wonderful way with the animals too. They trusted him, wanted to please him. He trained some great racers. Everyone wanted their yearlings broken in by Henry Mills."

Emma listened as her girlfriend spoke with such love for her father. She herself had missed out on having any sort of family unit she felt attached to and she had always longed for a father who adored her. Regina took a deep breath and continued.

"My mother and father had a loveless marriage. She was with him only for his money and he was weak, frankly. I loved my father but he had his flaws. He never stood up for himself, or me for that matter. He would give my mother whatever she wanted and I always found his lack of backbone incredibly frustrating. How could someone with so much authority when it came to horses let his wife walk all over him? He knew he was being used for his money and started spending more and more time at the stables. She in turn had numerous affairs, West's father included. I suppose I still blame mother and her attitude towards him for his death."

"What happened?" Emma asked, leaning forward to take both of Regina's hands in her own.

"I was seventeen. My mother had just demanded my father write a cheque for some investment plan she had. He did so and then headed out to do the evening round of the horses. The stables were a little way from the house and no one else was there. I was in my room doing some homework. If only I had gone with him," Regina trailed off, her face anguished. She gave herself a little shake and continued. "But I didn't, and I can't change that. I went downstairs an hour later to wish my parents goodnight but my father wasn't there. Mother said he had gone to check the horses and was probably sulking. I went to find him to say goonight."

Regina stopped talking, a tear rolling down her cheek.

"If you don't want to-," Emma began.

Regina shook her head. "It's ok. I just try so hard to forget the image so I avoid talking about it. He was lying on the floor of one of the loose boxes. We'd just shipped a gelding in from Ireland and my father must have been checking him over because the stable door was open and the horse was nowhere to be seen. As soon as I saw my father, I knew. There was blood pooling from his mouth. I rushed over to him but it was too late. We never knew what spooked the horse but we found him at the far end of the yard, his eyes still wild with fear. The coroner determined the horse had kicked my father in the stomach, causing massive internal bleeding. He never stood a chance."

"I'm so sorry, babe," Emma said, pulling her now sobbing girlfriend towards her. Regina cried into Emma's neck. It had been a long time since she had told anyone what happened to her father.

"Mills, Swan!" came a loud shout from nearby. "No touching."

Emma shot a dark look at Hunter but pulled away, wiping Regina's face with her sleeve as she did so.

"I'm sorry for your loss," Emma said, knowing the words would do little to make the brunette feel better but saying them anyway.

"Thanks," Regina sniffed. "It was seven years ago now. I still have nightmares about that evening but they're less common. I'm learning to accept it wasn't my fault for not going to check the horses with my father. And I've been thinking I'd like to do something to honour his memory. Not at my mother's stables but my own. Using his techniques and following the steps he taught me. I think he'd like that."

"He'd be so proud of you," Emma said.

Regina laughed. "What his drug dealing, incarcerated daughter? Hardly."

"No, his innovative, business minded, compassionate, caring, beautiful, smart daughter. Who loves and feels deeper than anyone I've ever met."

"Thank you, Emma," Regina said, leaning forward to kiss her girlfriend once more.

The two women sat in silence, watching as the sun dipped below the line of the trees surrounding the prison. When the fiery yellow ball disappeared and the sky took on an orange glow, Regina sighed in contentment and turned to the blonde once more. "Dinner?"

"I'm guessing from the fact that I've not seen you without Mills all weekend means you guys are back on?" Red asked as she walked into their bunk later that evening. She had not spoken to Emma about why she and the brunette had seemingly split up but Emma's sulking and moody demeanour throughout the previous week had told the bunkmate all she needed to know.

"We were never off," Emma said, rolling over under her covers to face Red. "West threatened me unless I broke up with Regina and I spoke to Booth to see what could be done to protect me. Well, to protect my baby mainly."

"But I saw West just now," Red frowned. "She's still here so why is the threat no longer a problem?"

"It is," Emma admitted. "They offered to move me but I refused. We're taking our chances that the psycho isn't quite crazy enough to try anything in here."

"You refused to be moved to a safer unit? Why?"

"Because I didn't want to leave Regina," Emma admitted. She knew how her reasoning sounded but she couldn't help how she felt.

"Seriously?" Red sighed, exasperated. "You're going to risk your life, and that of your unborn child for some piece of ass? I mean, don't get me wrong, Mills is smoking hot but is she really worth the risk."

Emma glared at her bunkmate. "She's more than a piece of ass and yes, she's worth the risk. I'm not leaving her and I'm not letting anyone hurt my baby." Emma rolled back to face the wall, ending the conversation abruptly. Red scowled at the back of her stubborn friend's head but didn't argue. Instead she got changed for bed and slipped under her own covers, hoping West didn't decide to kill Emma in her sleep that night and target her as collateral damage.

"You're very quiet this evening," Regina said, brushing the back of Emma's hand lightly with her fingertips. "Is everything ok, honey?"

Emma sighed and dropped her fork back to her half eaten dinner. "Sorry, just thinking about something Red said last night."

"What did she accuse me of this time?" Regina asked. She knew Emma's bunkmate resented her for shutting down the drug business and making her go cold turkey. Regina never did have much time for addicts, considering it their own fault for taking drugs in the first place.

"She thinks I should have taken the offer to move to that other prison," Emma said. "What do you think?"

Regina hesitated before answering. "I'm not going to lie to you Emma, I think you would be safer there. But for purely selfish reasons, I want you to stay here. Maybe I should push you to go, keep you and your baby away from harm. But that would mean not seeing you and I can't bring myself to do that."

"I turned it down because I wanted to be with you too," Emma said. "I guess we're both thinking about ourselves not the baby."

"Are you reconsidering?" Regina asked, her heart beating faster at the thought of losing her girlfriend.

"No," Emma shook her head. "West has done nothing all weekend. She knows we're together, in fact she's watching us right now." Emma nodded sideways towards where the redhead was sat with Faery, Trident and Feinberg, shooting the couple furtive glances every few minutes. "Maybe I'm naive in thinking she won't do anything but right now, I want to stay here. With you."

"You know I'll protect you in any way I can if something happens right?" Regina said, reaching out to grasp Emma's hand.

The blonde couldn't help but laugh. Regina looked offended and pulled her hand away. "No, no, sorry babe, I didn't mean to laugh," Emma apologised, moving to hold Regina's hand again. "It's just the last time you got in a fight with those three thugs, Feinberg had you in a choke hold within two seconds. You're not exactly … muscle."

Regina scowled but couldn't disagree. "Then we make sure we're always in public, with other people around to witness whatever they say or to step in if anything happens."

"What about when we're having sex?" Emma asked, lowering her voice. "I didn't know you were into voyeurism."

"Oh there is so much about me you have yet to learn, Miss Swan," Regina husked, teasingly.

Emma growled and reached for her girlfriend's hand. Standing up, she pulled Regina to her feet, dragging her from the dining hall and down the corridor.

"Where are we going?" Regina chuckled. She loved it when her girlfriend's animalistic need to have sex came over her.

"Chapel," Emma replied curtly, strolling down the hallway quickly.

"The Evangelicals meet tonight," Regina said. "Ouch!" she exclaimed as Emma stopped short and she walked into the back of her.

"Sorry," Emma said, spinning around and heading the other way. Regina smirked. She had enjoyed French knowing what she and Emma were doing the previous weekend but her smile faltered when Emma pulled her sideways, stepping into the bathroom instead of continuing to the libraray.

The blonde glanced around and grinned when she saw no one was present. "Come on," she whispered, tugging on Regina's hands and leading her to the shower stall at the far end.

"Shower sex?" Regina asked, eyebrow raised.

"I've always liked it," Emma admitted. "And you calling me Miss Swan makes me feel particularly dirty. I thought you might like to help me clean up."

Regina's eyes darkened with lust as she stepped backwards into the stall, hooking her finger into her girlfriend's pants and pulling the grinning blonde in after her.


	30. Bathroom Antics

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> NSWF

As soon as the bolt slid across, Emma's hands were all over Regina. She pulled her shirt quickly over her head, hands moving instantly to cover the perfect globes exposed to her. Regina groaned and arched her back into the touch before reaching to divest Emma of her own top. Pulling it from the mess of blonde hair, Regina scowled when she saw the younger woman was wearing a tank top underneath and removed that too. She paused, staring reverently at the swelling bump. Another week or so and Emma would be unable to hide her pregnancy from other inmates.

"Stop it," Emma growled, leaning forward to place kisses along the line of Regina's collarbone.

"Nope," Regina smirked, releasing Emma's bra clasp and sliding her hands around her rib cage to cup the small breasts. Or not so small, as the brunette had begun to notice. The pregnancy was causing Emma's globes to grow too and Regina admired them appreciatively.

Emma moaned as she felt her girlfriend run a thumb over a tender nipple. She moved her mouth up Regina's neck, pausing to lave the sweet spot below the brunette's ear before trailing her lips down the strong jawline to waiting, parted mouth. Their tongues met, both women tasting the other as they moved almost languidly against each other. Their hands however, were becoming more frantic. Regina's bra had been discarded too and Emma was fumbling to push down her pants. She hesitated before deciding to leave the lace panties in place. She couldn't resist the look of her girlfriend in sexy, contraband lingerie. Bending down to unlace the boots, Emma pulled the tangled pants from Regina's ankles and slipped off both socks. She kissed the exposed ankle bone lightly, moving her mouth slowly higher as she placed soft kisses all the way up Regina's left leg. Just as the scent of the brunette's sex hit her nose, Emma switched to the other leg and kissed her way back down.

"Tease," Regina mumbled, her hands reaching down to stroke the blonde hair moving away from where she needed her most.

"I'm not a tease," Emma defended, kneeling up straight in front of her girlfriend, "because I have every intention of following through." She placed a final kiss to the lace covered mound in front of her and stood up.

"Definite tease," Regina whispered, pulling Emma towards her and their mouths met hungrily once more. As their tongues battled for control, Regina pushed the blonde's pants and panties down. Emma toed off her boots and stumbled around trying to remove her socks without breaking the passionate kiss. Eventually managing it, the blonde wrapped her arms around Regina, pressing her naked form up against the brunette. Both women groaned at the sensation of so much skin contact.

"We're going to need to be quiet," Regina murmured.

"I know," Emma nodded. "It adds to the excitement, don't you think?" She winked and then moved to scoop the discarded clothes from the floor, hanging them all on the hooks on the back of the door so they didn't get wet.

"Forgetting something?" Regina husked.

Emma turned around and her eyes darkened at the sight before her. Regina's hair was swept over one shoulder, the ends tickling the hardened nipple of her right breast. Two slender fingers were hooked either side of her protruding hip bones, teasing the edge of the lace panties Emma had neglected to remove. The blonde swallowed hard. Regina smiled salaciously and slowly, very slowly, wiggled her hips as she pulled the scrap of fabric down her toned legs. As soon as they hit the tiled floor, Emma grabbed them and tossed the lace onto the top of the hanging clothes before spinning around and backing her girlfriend up against the wall.

Regina gasped as the cold tiles touched her back but the sound was swallowed by Emma's mouth, pressing insistently against her own. Groping behind her, Emma switched on the shower, waving her hand under the cascade of water as she waited for it to come to a good temperature. As soon as she was satisfied, she pulled Regina away from the wall and under the spray. Breaking the kiss, both women stood, the rest of their bodies pressed tightly together, and watched as the water slowly soaked their hair. There was something about seeing Regina's brown locks get darker and heavier that made Emma's breath hitch. Her eyes followed the path of a water droplet as it landed on Regina's shoulder, slid over her collarbone and ran quickly down her chest before it reached the join where her own milky white skin was pressed against olive tones and joined more water collecting there.

Regina leaned back in to connect their mouths, her hands sliding around to squeeze both Emma's ass cheeks. She loved the feel of the tight, rounded muscles beneath her fingers and dug her nails in slightly, pulling Emma further towards her. The blonde moaned and wrapped her arms more firmly around Regina. As their bodies became slicker, both women enjoyed the feeling of their skin sliding effortlessly against the other woman. Needing more, Regina lifted her leg up, wrapping her lower calf around the back of Emma's thigh and resting herself against the blonde's hip bone. Emma took the hint and moved her own hand down, caressing the flat planes of the brunette's stomach before her fingers skated over the shaved mound. Cupping the hot sex below, Emma could feel the wetness gathered there. It was different from the dampness caused by the shower water. It was hotter, thicker, stickier. She moved the tip of one finger forward slightly, grazing the folds as Regina bit down on Emma's lip, urging her girlfriend on.

Emma decided Regina had waited long enough and trailed one finger firmly through the drenched slit. Circling the bud at the top, she moved her fingers back down, teasing the tight hole before massaging it firmly with two fingers. Regina's fingernails dug into Emma's hips, her head thrown back in anticipation. Emma latched her mouth onto the smooth skin of the exposed neck, sucking it hard, determined to leave a mark. As she laved her tongue, she dipped her fingers inside the brunette. Slow, shallow thrusts made Regina squirm, trying to press downwards and force Emma deeper inside her. The blonde pulled back from Regina's neck and smirked in satisfaction at the bruise forming there. She then moved up to press her lips hard against Regina's, and at the same time, buried her fingers as far as they would reach inside her girlfriend.

The heated kiss stifled the moan from Regina as she wrapped her arms tighter around the wet body pressed against her. Emma's hand moved steadily in and out of her, curling against the spongy wall on their way back out only to be thrust in hard, reaching deep inside the clenching channel. Emma nibbled Regina's lip, loving the sound her girlfriend made when she did so.

"More," Regina muttered. Emma grinned and pulled back, a glint in her eye. She spun Regina around and pressed her firmly against the shower wall. Away from the warm water, Regina gasped as her hardened nipples pressed against the cold tiles. A sigh quickly followed as she felt her girlfriend pressed against her. The soft bump of her stomach fitted perfectly against the brunette's arched back. Emma's hands ran down the curved sides before she moved to the two dimples at the base of the brunette's spine. Caressing each one, Emma slid a single finger down the crack between Regina's ass cheeks. The brunette gasped again and widened her stance as she felt Emma's finger ghost over her tight, back hole. But they didn't stop and moved down to continue their teasing of her sopping entrance.

Emma leaned forward and placed a kiss to Regina's neck before moving up to nuzzle her ear. As she did so, she pushed three fingers firmly into Regina. The cry escaped before Emma could clap her hand over Regina's mouth.

"Shhh," she commanded, still with her fingers buried inside. When Regina nodded her understanding, Emma removed her hand and reached around to grasp a firm breast, tweaking the nipple as her fingers started to move. Regina was tight around them but her wetness quickly coated the digits liberally and soon Emma's hand was pistoning in and out, the sensations making Regina's mouth fall open in a silent scream. Sliding her other hand down, Emma's fingers sought Regina's clit and pressed hard against the nerve bundle, rubbing tight circles as she felt the brunette spasm around her hand as she came.

Placing gentle kisses to Regina's shoulders and back, Emma moved her arm to encircle the brunette's waist, holding her up as her body sagged back against the blonde. She waited until the tight channel had loosened and slid her fingers free, moving the sticky digits up and presenting them to Regina. The older woman took them into her mouth willingly, licking each one clean and moaning at the taste of herself. Turning in Emma's arms, Regina kissed her firmly, letting the blonde taste her essence in her own mouth. The two women moved back under the spray, letting the water warm up their bodies after the slight chill of the bathroom air. Their mouths moved softly, gently, tongues caressing each other and exploring every inch. Soon however, the hunger returned and Emma groaned as Regina began to kiss down her neck, across her chest and encircled her nipple with a hot mouth. Looking down, the blonde watched water run over Regina's face as she laved the sensitive nipple before switching to give its twin equal attention.

The kisses moved further downwards and Regina dropped to her knees, hissing at the hard floor but pushing the discomfort away as she peppered Emma's swollen abdomen with light touches from her lips. Reaching down, Emma drew the wet strands of hair away from Regina's face as her girlfriend lowered her mouth and placed a tender kiss just above her clit. The blonde's hips bucked forward, desperate for more contact and Regina winked up at Emma before she buried her face between her thighs. Emma widened her stance, gripping the back of Regina's head as she felt her tongue slide between her folds and move around her entrance before focusing on her clit. Her fingers clenched as she felt the tip of Regina's tongue skate teasingly over the sensitive bundle.

"Please," she gritted out. Regina complied and sucked gently on the throbbing clit. The feel of the pulsing nerves always made the brunette wet and she couldn't help but slide her fingers down to her own sex, teasing her still sensitive clit as her tongue licked broad strokes up and down Emma's folds. When the blonde pulled her head closer, Regina smiled, knowing her girlfriend was close and prepared to give her what she wanted. Her mouth enveloped the tender clitoris and she sucked with increasing force as the hardened tip of her tongue flicked over the nub.

A squeak escaped from Emma. The blonde was trying so hard to keep quiet but she failed as her orgasm crashed over her. Regina pulled away and glanced up the quaking body. Watching the post-orgasmic bliss wash over the beautiful face above her through the cascade of water, Regina brought herself to a second orgasm and leaned back against the wall, wiping her fingers on her thigh.

Emma opened her eyes, breathing heavily and looked down at Regina. Smiling lazily, she offered her a hand and pulled the brunette to her feet.

"Let's get clean," she murmured, encouraging her girlfriend back under the water.

Without soap, there was only so much the two women could do but their hands moved carefully over the other's body. The touches were intimate but not sexual. Instead, they were caring, loving and gentle. Emma cupped her hand to fill it with water and slowly washed between Regina's legs. Their eyes met and both women stared at the other, enjoying the connection but not needing more. Regina copied Emma's actions, never once breaking eye contact.

When they finished, arms encircled bodies and the two women stood under the water, wrapped in a tight embrace, feeling the beat of the other's heart against their own.

"We should probably leave," Emma murmured. Regina nodded and reached back to shut off the water before pulling away.

Without the water raining down on them, the bathroom was eerily quiet. The shower had masked the comings and goings of the inmates but now it seemed they were alone.

"We don't have any towels," Regina remarked gesturing to their wet bodies.

"Yeah," Emma nodded. "It wasn't the most thought through plan." She reached up to their hanging clothes and extracted her tank top. "Use this to get the worst of the water off," Emma said, offering it to Regina.

They dried as best they could before redressing, Regina grumbling about how tacky her skin felt.

"Stop complaining," Emma said, pushing the brunette back against the wall and kissing her thoroughly.

"Ok," Regina gasped when they finally broke apart.

"I haven't heard any movement out there so I think we're alone," Emma whispered, moving to unbolt the door.

Stepping out into the main bathroom, Emma looked to her right then left and stopped dead.

"Good evening ladies," West said.

Regina rushed out of the shower stall, grasping Emma's hand tightly and standing close to her side.

"What do you want now, West?" Regina snarled.

"I believe I told Miss Swan to end your sordid little relationship several times over the last couple of months and from the disgusting things we've just heard, she has still failed to do so."

"We?" Emma asked.

"Don't forget about us," came a voice from behind the couple. Emma and Regina spun around to see Faery, Feinberg and Trident emerging from behind the shower partition.

"Great," Regina sighed, "the disloyal thugs are here too."

Trident growled whilst Faery and Feinberg both moved forwards Emma and Regina but stopped in their tracks. Turning back to West, they saw she had raised her hand to halt them.

"As I was saying," West continued. "This relationship needs to end and if you refuse to do it yourself, we have no choice but to do it for you."

"Why are you doing this, Zelena?" Regina asked. The redhead's eyebrows raised at the use of her first name.

"Why am I doing what?" she shot back, annoyed at the slight clenching of her heart.

"Why are you listening to our mother? Why are you doing what she wants? She sent you away, remember? She never wanted you and she never will," Regina snarled. "She is using you to hurt me, all the while promising you the family fortune but she'll never give it to you. She's selfish and she doesn't want to share with anyone, not even me, the daughter she actually raised." Emma squeezed Regina's hand at those words and the brunette felt stronger at the movement. "You're making a fool of yourself, Zelena. She doesn't love you. She only wants me back."

"NOW!" West bellowed, her face red and her eyes filled with fury.

Emma and Regina whipped around in time to see the three women reach behind them and pull out their weapons. Three sets of eyes narrowed as they landed on their target and moved forward quickly.

"NO!" cried Regina. Without thought, without hesitation, she pushed Emma aside just as three arms thrust forward.

A piercing scream filled the bathroom as the woman fell to the floor but no one knew who it came from. It echoed off the tiled walls and caused the hairs on even the attackers' necks to stand up.

"Let's go," West commanded. Leaving their weapons still impaled in their victim, Faery, Feinberg and Trident stepped over the bleeding body and ran from the bathroom as a tortured wail sounded from behind them.


	31. Bloody Hands

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This is where the story warning for graphic violence comes into play. Just another warning for you.

Regina's POV:

Pain. White hot pain. Her breaths came in short, staccato gasps as she blinked up at the ceiling. Her hand moved to her abdomen. Something there was warm, sticky. She lifted her hand and through blurring vision she saw red staining her fingertips. She tried to move but couldn't. It was like her whole body was made of lead. Her hand dropped back to her stomach, the pain intensifying as her thumb bumped something hard. She was tired. Closing her eyes, the sounds around her suddenly registered.

Someone was screaming. A woman. She was calling for help through her tears, over and over again. Then she heard her own name.

"Regina! Regina! Can you hear me? Look at me!"

The brunette tried to open her eyes but the lids were too heavy. A hand slipped into hers, squeezing tightly. Regina wanted to reciprocate but couldn't make her fingers move properly.

"Hold on Regina, it's going to be ok." Emma's voice was panicked, high pitched. Even in her confused state, Regina didn't believe the words her girlfriend was saying.

She let out a moan of pain as she felt pressure on her stomach. Her own hand was moved aside and replaced with someone else's. Emma's.

A scream. Her own. The pain had intensified suddenly and her muscles contracted, trying to protect the rapidly weakening body.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry," Emma sobbed.

She felt a firm pressure on her abdomen again, the pain reducing slightly to a steady throb. Regina tried to open her eyes again. Very slowly, a sliver of the room appeared. It was dark around the edges but she could make out a mess of blonde hair in front of her.

"Em-." Speaking was hard. Her lips were dry and her tongue felt too big for her mouth.

"I'm here, baby. I'm staying here until help arrives. You're going to be ok." As Emma spoke she moved to look down into the hazy eyes of the brunette. Regina blinked slowly, trying to focus. The beautiful features sharpened somewhat and she saw tears streaming down the face above her.

"You?"

Emma shook her head. "I'm fine, I'm unhurt. Thanks to you. What the hell were you thinking?" A hand came up to stroke Regina's face. The touch felt abstract.

"I couldn't let them hurt you," Regina muttered, her face contorted in pain as the pressure on her abdomen increased.

"You saved me," Emma whispered. "And now I'm going to save you. I promise."

The blonde head disappeared from her vision as Emma moved back down her body, presumably to look at her wounds.

"Emma?" Her voice was barely above a whisper.

"I'm here. Hold on, ok. People have gone to get help." Emma's blurred face reappeared, looking like she was trying to smile. Unconvincingly.

"I love you," Regina gasped, her eyes searching for the green orbs above her. As soon as she found them, she wanted to smile but her muscles weren't working properly. She was tired. She closed her eyes.

"I love you too," Emma sobbed. Something soft touched her cheek. "I love you too Regina."

Emma's POV:

Emma groaned and pushed herself up from the floor and turned around to survey the room.

"NOOOOOOOOO!"

Regina had crumpled to the floor in front of the three women. Faery, Feinberg and Trident's eyes all widened as their brains realised what their former boss had done.

"Let's go," snapped West.

Emma didn't even wait for the other women to leave before she rushed to Regina's side and knelt down. Three homemade shivs had penetrated the brunette. Blood was spreading in dark patches from each wound, seeping through her top and already dripping onto the tiles below.

"HELP! HELP!" Emma cried. "SOMEBODY HELP US! WE NEED A DOCTOR!"

She didn't dare move from Regina's side herself to raise the alarm and simply prayed someone heard her. Tears were streaming down her face as she looked at her girlfriend. Regina's eyes were closed and her beautiful features contorted in pain. Blood coated the fingertips of Regina's right hand which was resting against one of the shivs.

"Regina! Regina! Can you hear me? Look at me!" Emma panicked.

Emma watched as Regina's eyelids fluttered but the chocolate orbs never appeared. She reached for Regina's hand and squeezed desperately.

"Hold on Regina, it's going to be ok."

Emma turned her attention back to the wounds. The shiv beside Regina's hand was a sharpened prison issued toothbrush sticking out just below Regina's naval. Emma didn't think it was buried too deep but she couldn't be sure. Trying desperately to remember her first aid training, she decided to remove it. Regina moaned as Emma gently pushed her bloodied hand aside. Placing a finger either side of the weapon, she grasped it firmly with her other hand and pulled. Regina screamed. A pulse of dark blood followed the toothbrush and Emma covered the puncture hole quickly, applying pressure to try and slow the bleeding.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry," she cried, more tears running down her face and dripping onto Regina's abdomen, which was now completely covered in blood.

"Em-." The voice was distant, faint. But within an instant, Emma was leaning over the pale face, feeling a flicker of hope as she saw Regina's eyes were slightly open.

"I'm here, baby. I'm staying here until help arrives. You're going to be ok," she soothed, needing Regina to know she wasn't alone. The brunette blinked slowly and her pupils seemed to dilate as the deep brown eyes focused slightly on Emma's face. The blonde tried to smile encouragingly.

"You?" Regina sounded hoarse, like speaking was an enormous effort

"I'm fine, I'm unhurt. Thanks to you. What the hell were you thinking?" she asked, shaking her head with exasperation before stroking Regina's face. She grimaced as she realised she had smeared blood over the pale cheek. Her stomach turned.

"I couldn't let them hurt you," Regina said. Tears flowed as Emma watched pain flash once more across the now bloodied face before her.

"You saved me," Emma whispered. "And now I'm going to save you. I promise."

Emma moved back to observe the wounds. All the time she was talking to Regina, warm blood had been seeping through her fingers. She leant over to check the other lacerations. What looked like a piece of wire was stuck out of Regina's right side, just below her breast. She wracked her brain, trying to remember her biology lessons and wondered which organ the shiv could have damaged. She couldn't tell how deep the wire went and decided not to remove it in case she caused more damage. On Regina's left side, a pen was sticking out of her waist, just above her hip bone. Emma leaned over and saw a razor blade embedded in the pen, grimacing at the jagged, bloody gash the crude weapon had made. It didn't seem too deep however and, from its location, presumably hadn't hit any vital organs.

"Emma?" The blonde stopped her examination instantly and moved look into her girlfriend's eyes once more.

"I'm here. Hold on, ok. People have gone to get help," she assured, squeezing Regina's fingers.

"I love you."

Emma's breath hitched as she heard the words. Regina's eyes were focused on her own as she spoke and through the pain and fear in the brunette's voice, she could also hear sincerity. Brown eyes closed once more.

"I love you too," Emma cried, leaning forwards to place a kiss on Regina's bloodied cheek. "I love you too Regina."

"Out of the way!" Doctor Fisher cried as she pushed her way through the crowd. Taking one look at the inmate on the floor, she turned to Hunter. "Call for a helicopter and then bring me the stretcher," she instructed before kneeling beside the sobbing blonde and beginning to examine the injuries.

"Swan," she said gently, moving her hand to where the blonde was applying pressure low on the brunette's abdomen. "You've done great but I'll take it from here."

She moved the young woman's blood soaked hands aside and replaced the pressure with her own. She looked at Mills' face. Her eyes were closed and she was quiet. Her breathing was harsh and ragged but fairly regular.

"Someone get Swan out of here please," she commanded, setting about looking at the other two wounds. "Nolan, come here and apply constant pressure to this wound. And Fa, bring me an IV."

Emma tried to wriggle away as she felt two arms encircle her body.

"NO!" she sobbed. "I'm not leaving her."

"Emma, please," came Red's voice. "Fisher's taking care of her. There's nothing more you can do."

The taller woman pulled again, managing to get the shaking blonde on her feet and leading her through the crowd. Through her tears, Emma registered for the first time the inmates who had been stood in the bathroom doorway, watching as Regina bled out on the floor.

As soon as they reached the corridor, Emma's knees gave out and she collapsed, crying harder than ever. The adrenaline from the attack had waned and anguish washed over her for the first time.

"Emma," said another familiar voice. "Come with us."

Between them, Snow and Red managed to lift Emma to her feet and half carried the sobbing woman back to her bunk. Emma sank onto her bed, tears still streaming down her face. Red appeared in front of her, wiping her bloodied hands with make up remover wipes as Snow dabbed at the blonde's eyes with a tissue.

"Regina," Emma gasped as she saw the soiled wipes piling up beside her and realising how much blood she had been covered in. "I need to be with Regina."

"You can't help her," Snow soothed, wrapping an arm around trembling shoulders. "Fisher is doing everything she can."

"I can't leave her alone," Emma snapped, shrugging off Snow. A second rush of adrenaline shot through her and in an instant the blonde was standing up and rushing out of her bunk, her two friends close behind her.

Just as they reached the corridor outside the bathroom, the crowd parted and Nolan appeared, walking backwards and carrying one end of a stretcher. Hunter held the other and Fa walked alongside, holding an IV bag. On the opposite side, Fisher's hands were keeping pressure on the open wounds. She had removed the pen and razor blade but left the wire inside. Using the razor itself, the doctor had cut away Regina's top leaving her bloodied abdomen uncovered so she could work more easily. Each of the doctor's hands covered an exposed laceration.

"Regina!" Emma cried, rushing to the brunette's side. Fisher didn't object as the group moved quickly through the corridor towards the yard. Emma reached for her girlfriend's hand, watching Regina's face for any sign of awareness that she was there. Her eyes were closed but her ragged breathing told Emma she was still alive. "Stay with me, Regina. You can get through this. I love you."

The words came so easily, so naturally, and Emma wondered why she had never said them before. Her heart leapt when she felt the faintest squeeze of her fingers as the group emerged into the dusky twilight of the prison yard.

The deafening noise of the helicopter assaulted Emma's ears and she looked up in alarm. Several paramedics were running towards them.

"Female, 24, three stab wounds with three different weapons," Fisher informed quickly. "One to the lower abdomen, one to the upper right quadrant and an minor one to the left side. Breathing is steady and two of the shivs are removed. I left this one in," she said, gesturing to the wire. "She's been almost unconscious for at least ten minutes but seems to be able to hear what we say."

"Thanks, Doc," one of the paramedics said, taking the IV bag from Fa and jogging alongside the stretcher. "You coming with?"

"Can't," Fisher said. "I have another patient to attend to."

The man nodded his understanding as they reached the open helicopter door.

"On my count. One, two, three." The stretcher was lifted easily inside and the paramedics climbed in behind. Emma moved to do the same.

"No, Swan. You can't go," said Fisher firmly, grasping Emma's shirt and pulling her back.

"But I can't leave her," Emma sobbed.

"I'm sorry," Fisher said. "I need to check you and your baby for injuries."

"We're fine. I'm fine. I need to be with Regina."

"You don't have a choice," Fisher said, as Nolan and Hunter each grasped an arm.

"NO!" Emma cried. "Get off me! Let me go with her!"

The two men pulled the writhing woman back effortlessly as the helicopter door swung shut and the rotors picked up speed. From the safety of the doorway, the doctor, guards and Emma watched as the helicopter rose into the air, hovered for a moment before flying off quickly and disappearing beyond the building.

Emma sank to her knees, crying uncontrollably. The voices above her didn't register and moments later, Emma felt a sharp pain in her neck and everything went black.

Her head felt foggy, her brain sluggish. She opened her eyes and blinked until the room came into focus. The infirmary.

The events from earlier flooded back and Emma sat bolt upright.

"Regina?" she asked, looking around.

"Hey," Fisher said, moving instantly to Emma's side and pushing the blonde gently back down to the matress. "She's ok. She's going to be ok."

Emma sighed with relief. "Where is she? What happened? Can I see her?"

Fisher could't help but smile at the evident love and concern the young blonde showed for her girlfriend.

"She's in a hospital not far from here. She's pulled through surgery and she's in recovery. The doctors are optimistic but they're going to monitor her closely. The weapons used means she has a high risk of infection. She won't be back here for a while."

"Can I see her?" Emma repeated.

Fisher shook her head. "I'm sorry Swan. That's not possible."

Emma nodded her understand but couldn't stop the tears escaping. "She's really going to be ok?"

"It looks good," Fisher assured her. "You did everything you could to help so you should be proud of yourself."

"Proud?" Emma spat. "It's my fault she was hurt. It's all my fault. If I had taken Gold's offer, if I had ended things, West would have left her alone. I'm to blame for everything."

The blonde dissolved into tears and Fisher rubbed her arm comfortingly.

After a few minutes, Emma sniffed and looked up at the compassionate face of the doctor. "Why am I in here?"

"We had to sedate you," she explained. "I needed to examine you and the baby and you were hysterical. You're both fine by the way."

Emma nodded but suddenly a dark look came over her face. "West and her thugs. Where are they?" she asked.

"I'll let Warden Gold fill you in," Fisher said, and with a final pat to Emma's arm, she moved away from the bed and back to her office.

Glancing around the room, Emma spotted Warden Gold and Booth sat side by side near the door. When Fisher left, the two men got to their feet and walked over to her, their faces grim.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: I didn't want to write a long note at the top so here goes. I'm not a doctor, I've never done first aid training, and I've never been stabbed (yay!). I have no idea if what I've written is medically correct but I hope it is and I hope the writing allowed you to picture the scene as vividly as I did. I decided to write the immediate moments after the attack from Regina's POV and then Emma's. I think that was obvious ... Oh and don't worry, Regina's not going to die and we're going to see her progress very soon. I thoroughly enjoyed reading your frustrated reviews last night/this morning and regret nothing about leaving you on the edge of your seat. *evil laugh*
> 
> Also, can anyone spot the reference to another of my favourite television shows? Hint: it's to do with the shivs used in the attack.


	32. Attack Consequences

"How are you feeling Swan?" Booth asked as he approached the bed.

"Sleepy," Emma admitted. "And confused, angry, scared…"

"Fisher said you'll be able to leave in a few hours, once the sedative wears off. Luccas and Blanchard have both been here to check how you're doing so I'm sure they'll be happy to look after you," Booth said.

"And West? What's happening to her?" Emma asked, sitting up straighter and turning her attention to the warden.

"We've placed her in solitary confinement for the time being," Gold said. "After the attack, and the history of threats against you and Mills, we spoke to West, Faery, Feinberg and Trident. In fact, the latter three were apprehended trying to change their clothes. It seems there was some blood spatter from the attack and they were caught trying to hide the evidence. All three confessed quickly enough and we're having the DNA checked just to confirm. For now they're being charged with attempted murder."

Emma heaved a sigh of relief. "And West?"

"Well she herself didn't stab Mills but one of the women has implemented her as the ringleader. The other two are holding out but detectives are speaking with them now, hoping to get the story corroborated. West isn't talking," Gold said.

"She's protecting herself and her psycho mother," Emma growled.

"Her mother?" Booth asked, frowning.

Emma nodded. "Yeah. Cora Mills. She's the one pulling West's strings. Regina's mother has never accepted her daughter is gay and wanted me, the problem, dealt with. She threatened me herself when she came to visitation a few weeks ago."

"You met with Mills' mother?" Booth asked. "Why?"

"I thought I could convince her to accept Regina for who she is. But she was so cold, heartless. Made me think perhaps not having a mother wasn't so bad after all. She told me to end things between us before I got hurt."

"If the mother threatened you," Gold said slowly, "and all of West's threats were directed at you too, why is Regina the one recovering from major surgery?"

"Because she pushed me out of the way," Emma said, tears running down her cheeks again at the memory. "She saved my life."

Gold reached inside his pocket and handed Emma a crumpled but clean tissue.

"We're going to let you rest now but we will need a statement from you about the attack. Maybe you can come to my office tomorrow?" Emma nodded. "OK, Booth will escort you there when you're ready. Goodnight Miss Swan."

"Goodnight," Emma said as she sank back into the soft pillow behind her, watching the two men leave.

Looking at the clock on the opposite wall, Emma saw it was 3am. It had been over seven hours since Regina was attacked the previous evening. Images of her girlfriend on the floor flashed into her mind. The blood. The shivs. Regina's pale, pained face. Emma grimaced and rolled over, trying to forget but knowing she would never be able to. Her eyes slid closed as sleep washed over her fatigued body once more.

"NOOOOO REGINA!" The blonde thrashed on the bed, covers tangled around her limbs as she writhed, trying to fight something, stop something, escape something. Fisher rushed over from her office, and placed a soothing hand on Emma's shoulder, trying to hold the young woman down lest she hurt herself.

"Swan. Swan!" she said, loudly. "It's ok. You're safe, Regina's safe. Wake up, it's just a nightmare."

The blonde sat bolt upright panting and looking around, her eyes wild. Sweat coated her brow and her heart was pounding in her chest.

"Regina?" she asked. "Where's Regina?" The young woman looked around panicked, trying to remember where she was.

"She's fine. She's in the hospital near here and she's doing well," Fisher assured. "It was just a nightmare, Swan. Lie down and try to get some more sleep."

"It wasn't a nightmare," Emma said, tears forming in her eyes as the events of the previous day returned. "It was a memory."

Fisher nodded her understanding. "It's going to take some time but you will get past this Swan. You're going to be ok. You both are." She placed her hand gently on Emma's swelling stomach.

"Regina's really alright?" she asked, her voice weak as she became drowsy again.

Fisher nodded. "She's fine. I've just got the full report from her surgeon. There were some complications but overall the outlook is positive."

"Complications?" Emma asked, worried. "What complications?"

"I think it's best if Miss Mills tells you about them herself actually."

"When can I see her?" Emma asked.

"As soon as she can be safely moved, I'll have her transferred here, ok?" the doctor said kindly. "It shouldn't be more than a week or so. Now get some sleep so you're fresh for your meeting with the warden tomorrow."

Muffled voices filtered slowly through her ears and into her brain. She couldn't understand the words and the voices seemed unfamiliar. She opened her eyes slightly but shut them again instantly. Too bright lights hung overhead, making her eyes burn. She swallowed thickly. Her throat felt dry and tight. She needed some water. Bracing herself once more, she cracked her eyes open again and waited for her pupils to get used to the brightness. As the room came into focus, she looked around. It was unfamiliar yet Regina could tell instantly she was in a hospital. All at once, the memories flooded back to her. The bathroom. West. Faery, Feinberg and Trident. Emma. Searing pain.

Regina tried to move but as she tensed her muscles to sit up, she cried out in agony.

"Miss Mills?" said a faint voice from nearby. A face appeared above her, shining another light into her eyes. Regina growled and rolled her head away. She suddenly saw the machines she was hooked up to, and beeping noises filled her brain. What had happened to her? She rolled her head back to look up at the person above her. A man. A doctor. Regina could see his stethoscope swinging clumsily from his neck as he peered into her face.

"Where am I?" Regina asked. Her voice was hoarse and quiet. It hurt to speak.

"You're at Capital Regional Medical Centre," said the doctor as he lifted a glass of water to Regina's lips. She drank gratefully. "You've had some major surgery after an attack you sustained in FCI."

"What happened?" Regina asked, her eyes now fully open and able to focus on the doctor's face. He was a young man, barely out of medical school with kind features and an air of entitlement.

"You were stabbed by three different shivs," he began. "One was a superficial cut from a razor which we've stitched up. A straightened piece of chainlink fence penetrated your liver. We had to operate to stop any internal bleeding, and to prevent infection we decided to remove the affected tissue mass. It was only a small area however and we believe you won't notice any change to your bodily functions."

Regina nodded. Her neck was stiff. "And the last one?"

The doctor smiled sadly. "The final stab wound was a little more problematic. It was low on your abdomen and the sharpened end of the toothbrush lacerated your uterus. Our surgeons did the best they could but they were unable to save it. I'm very sorry Miss Mills but we had to remove your womb."

A sob escaped Regina and she tried to move her right hand to her mouth. The clanging of metal brought her crashing back to reality. Despite being a victim of a vicious attack, she was still a prisoner. The handcuff suddenly felt very heavy around her wrist. She bought her left hand up to her face instead, covering her mouth and trying to stifle her cries. She would never have children of her own. She would never experience pregnancy, give birth, hold her own child in her arms. She had dreamed of having a family all her life. She wanted to give her children the love and support she never received from her own mother. She had never let her sexuality deter her from believing it was all still possible. And now, thanks to her own mother, she was unable to bear children. Tears streamed down her face as the devastating news sank in.

"There's some people here to see you," the doctor continued, seemingly unaware of how upset his patient was. "I'll send them in now I've spoken to you. Once again, I'm sorry."

He disappeared leaving Regina to attempt to wipe her teary face and calm her ragged breathing. Who could possibly be visiting her in hospital, she wondered. Surely the prison wouldn't let Emma out to see her, and she couldn't believe her mother would show her face after orchestrating the attack.

Regina's eyes widened as she saw the two men approaching her bed.

"Good afternoon, Miss Mills," Warden Gold said. "How are you feeling?"

"Tired," Regina croaked as she wiped away the last of her tears and tried to put on a brave face.

"We need to ask you a few questions, if you don't mind," said Glass. Regina scowled at her counsellor. She had never liked the man. He was too slimy and openly homophobic but her requests for reassignment had always been denied.

"Can it wait?" Regina asked. Her mind was still reeling from the doctor's news.

"It won't take long," Gold assured. "We just need you to walk us through the attack."

Regina nodded. She had known this was coming. "I was in the bathroom," she began.

"With Inmate Swan?," Glass prompted.

"Yes."

"What exactly is the nature of your relationship?" Glass asked.

"Why does that matter?" Regina snapped. If she knew how the counsellor worked, he would be trying to blame the victims for the attack based on their sexuality, adding fuel to his hate campaign.

"It may be pertinent to the investigation. What were you two doing in the bathroom?" Glass asked.

"Fucking," Regina replied shortly. "But you already knew that didn't you."

Warden Gold flushed slightly at the inmate's crass language whilst Glass looked satisfied. Regina's suspicions were confirmed, but she knew lying about her and Emma was pointless.

"Anyway," Regina continued. "We came out of the shower stall and West was waiting for us. I know Emma had already alerted the prison to the fact my crazy half sister had threatened her with harm if she didn't end our relationship. West said similar words to that effect in the bathroom and then we realised her three thugs, Faery, Feinberg and Trident, were there too. Those three were stood behind us when we were talking to West. I asked West why she was doing what our mother told her to do. I told her our mother never loved her. She snapped. Shouted at the other three to attack us, well to attack Emma. I pushed her out of the way and they got me instead. I don't remember much more after that, except Emma staying with me and calling for help. Next thing I know, I'm waking up here."

Gold nodded. "Thank you Miss Mills. That tallies with Miss Swan's version of events."

"Because it's the truth," Regina replied. "Why would I lie about what happened?"

"Revenge," Glass said.

"Revenge on who?" Regina asked.

"Your sister," Glass sneered. Gold laid a hand on the counsellor's arm, warning him to back off as it was clear the brunette was getting increasingly agitated. The machine monitoring her heart rate beeped faster.

"West ordered those women to attack Emma. She may not have stabbed me herself but she was behind the whole thing. West and her thugs are getting what they deserve. Aren't they?"

"We just needed to clarify what happened before we confirm the charges," Gold said. "Don't worry, Miss Mills, we're taking this very seriously."

"Does my mother know?" Regina asked.

Gold nodded. "We are obliged to notify next of kin when events like this occur. She doesn't know any details but she is aware you were injured and that you're in hospital. No medical information has been passed to her yet but it can be arranged with your consent."

"No," the brunette said, shortly. "I don't want her to know anything about it. I assume West hasn't been able to phone her either?"

"No," Gold said, shaking his head. "Your half sister is in solitary confinement until this case is closed."

"When can I go back to FCI?" Regina asked. She never thought she'd say that.

"The doctors are monitoring you for infection but they think you'll be discharged within a week."

"And Emma? Can I see her?"

"No," Gold said, sympathetically. "But I'll see what I can do about arranging a phone call."

Regina nodded and smiled gratefully. "Thank you, Warden."

"Not at all. Now you just focus on getting better and we'll be back in a few days to focus on your progress," Gold smiled as he moved away from the bed and waited for Glass to do the same. The counsellor hesitated for a moment, a curious look in his eyes before he turned and followed his boss from the ward.

Regina relaxed back into the soft mattress, trying to process everything that had happened. She believed Gold when he said FCI were taking the attack seriously and she also knew Glass held little sway with the administration. Her job for the past two years had allowed for numerous eavesdropping moments and the man was the butt of many office jokes. His homophobic smear campaign didn't stand a chance. Regina knew there was no way her sister would wriggle out of the allegations. Nor would Faery, Feinberg and Trident. But her mother, that was another matter. Getting Cora Mills to admit involvement would be almost impossible, Regina mused.

Unless …

"Doctor?" Regina called.

A few moments later, the young man reappeared.

"Is everything ok? Are you in pain?" he asked.

"No, I'm ok," Regina assured. "Is there a phone I can use?"

The doctor folded his arms. "You do remember you're a prisoner right?" he asked, gesturing to the handcuff securing Regina to the bed.

The brunette nodded. "I know. I just wanted to call my mother."

The man hesitated, then nodded. "Give me a moment. It will have to be on loudspeaker and I am required to record it."

"Understood," Regina smiled. "Thank you."

"I'll be back in a moment," he said before disappearing up the small ward.

Regina lay back and smiled, formulating her plan quickly in her mind.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Oh and the other television show reference was to Rizzoli and Isles. Episode 10 of Season 2 starts with the murder of a prison inmate (all orchestrated by Hoyt) and Maura tests three different shivs to see if they are the murder weapon: a sharpened, prison issue tooth brush, a pen embedded with a razor, and a straightened piece of chainlink fence! Did any of you spot that? This also acts as a disclaimer that I've never been to prison nor have I made a shiv!


	33. Incriminating Evidence

"Hello. Mills Stables and Racehorse Centre." The familiar greeting reverberated through Regina's head as she gritted her teeth and spoke.

"Mother, it's me."

"Regina, darling. Are you alright?" came the sickly sweet voice. Her mother had always been a good actor. "Warden Gold told me what happened. Is there anything I can do for you?"

"I'm fine mother, thank you," Regina lied, knowing it was vital Cora didn't suspect her knowledge of the older woman's involvement in the attack. "I just wanted to speak to you." Anyone who didn't know her family history would have thought this a perfectly viable statement, including the doctor stood beside Regina who smiled at the sentiment.

"Of course you did. Would you like me to fly down and visit you?" Cora offered.

"No, it's ok. I know you're busy with the stables and everything." Regina paled at the thought of her mother turning up at the hospital and pretending to fawn over her. She never wanted to see the woman again in her life.

"I am," Cora agreed. "There are so many things to do at this time of year. It would be much easier if you would come back and help once you finish your sentence."

"I want to, mother," Regina lied. It was alarming how easy this was turning out to be. "I've realised what a terrible mistake I've made and I'm so sorry."

"I forgive you, Regina dear," Cora cooed. "I knew you'd come to see that blonde slut for what she really is."

Regina's hands balled into fists and she was immensely glad her mother wasn't able to see the fury on her face at that moment.

"Yes," Regina said, swallowing her anger and pressing on with her plan. "Emma was just using me. I saw that when she pulled me in front of her and used me as a shield when West tried to attack her."

"She did what?" Cora asked, her voice low and dangerous.

"She's the reason I'm hurt," Regina fibbed. "She used me to save herself. She's the reason you'll never be a grandmother." The words caught in the brunette's throat as the one truth came out.

There was a long pause before the older Mills spoke. "What?" Cora whispered into the phone. "What do you mean?"

"One of the stab wounds," Regina began. "It lacerated my womb. The doctors couldn't save it. I'm so sorry mother. Because I fell for her charm, I'll never have children and you'll never have grandchildren."

Despite the act she was putting on, the tears rolling down Regina's cheeks were real. She wiped them away but more followed.

"I'll kill her," Cora hissed.

Through her tears, Regina couldn't help but smile. Her plan was working.

"How?" she asked, praying her mother would bite.

"West does anything I ask," Cora replied, pride evident in her voice. "That stupid woman is so eager to please me, to be my daughter, she'll do whatever I say. Only this time, I'll tell her to make sure you won't be collateral damage."

"This time?" Regina asked, holding her breath.

There was a pause. It was almost like Cora was debating how much to reveal to her injured daughter. "West was acting on my orders yesterday. She was supposed to attack Miss Swan but it seems she was outsmarted by that skank. Rest assured, I'll make sure your blonde bimbo problem is terminated before you are released from hospital."

"Thank you mother," Regina said. She wasn't sure how she managed to keep the raging anger from her voice. "I have to go, the doctor wants to check my stitches."

"Ok my darling. I'll speak to you soon. I love you."

Regina hung up without replying.

"Erm …," said the doctor, whose name Regina had learnt was Whale. He had been stood by her bed the entire time, unable to stop listening as the call unfolded, becoming more and more fascinated by the second.

Regina nodded. "If you wouldn't mind calling Warden Gold and getting him down here to listen to that recording," the brunette said cooly.

Doctor Whale nodded mutely and walked away with the hospital telephone in one hand and a dictaphone in the other.

Regina sank back onto her pillows and wept. She wept for herself and her crushed dreams of her own family. She wept for Emma and the trauma of watching her girlfriend get stabbed the younger woman had endured. And she wept for her father, who had suffered a lifetime with a cold, heartless wife.

"Emma? Do you want to join us for lunch?" Red asked, sitting down carefully on the blonde's bed.

A vague shake of her head made Red sigh. "You really should try and get up. It's been four days and it's not good for you or the baby to continue wallowing in bed."

"My girlfriend was almost killed. I'm not wallowing, I'm processing," Emma snapped, still not looking at the brunette.

"Ok," Red soothed, used to her bunkmate's difficult mood by now. "Maybe you want to come and process with your friends? We all miss you."

Emma sighed and rolled over, pushing herself into a sitting position. She looked at Red properly for the first time since she was discharged from the infirmary on Tuesday. Her friend offered an encouraging smile and patted Emma's leg through the blanket. "I just don't feel up to talking," Emma admitted, fiddling with a loose thread on her sleeve.

Red nodded understandingly. "You want me to bring you a tray again?" she offered.

"Yes please," the blonde said with a weak smile. She knew she needed to keep eating for the baby's sake but her appetite had been non-existent since the attack on Monday night.

"Any news about when you'll be able to speak to Regina?" Red asked.

Emma shook her head. Warden Gold and Booth had both denied her repeated requests to be allowed a phone call to Regina, claiming some details of the attack needed to be confirmed and therefore contact between witnesses and victims wasn't allowed.

"Well I'll keep my fingers crossed for good news when you meet Booth later," Red said, standing up from her bed and heading towards the door. "See you later Swanny," the tall woman said with a grin as she headed off down the corridor.

Emma smiled at the nickname and sank back onto her mattress. Rolling over, Emma closed her eyes and prayed her dreams weren't full of images of Regina bleeding on the bathroom floor.

"Hi Booth," Emma said as she sat down opposite her counsellor. They had met every day that week and the blonde was beginning to speak about what had happened in the bathroom. Booth knew they had a long way to go but he was pleased Emma was starting to confront the events and deal with the psychological trauma they caused.

"How are you feeling today Swan?" he asked, kindly.

"Ok. Can I speak to Regina yet?" she asked, her voice hopeful.

"Actually, yes," the man smiled, but it was nothing to the way the blonde's face lit up.

"Now?" Emma asked excitedly, feeling happiness surge through her for the first time since the attack. She was practically bouncing up and down in her chair with the prospect of speaking to her girlfriend.

"Momentarily. I have to fill you in on some details first but Miss Mills has been told to expect your call very soon."

Emma beamed and sank back into her chair. At last she was going to be able to talk to the beautiful brunette, reassure herself that Regina was alive and well and going to be returning to her soon.

"I have some news," Booth began.

Emma frowned. "Good or bad?" she asked, sceptically.

Booth paused before replying. "Good but sad," he decided on.

"Go on," Emma said, curious.

"Well firstly, I should tell you charges for attempted murder are officially being filed against West, Faery, Feinberg and Trident. All four of them are going to have a significant amount of time added to their sentences and they will also be transferred to a maximum security unit by the end of play today. The order from the court just came through this morning. You don't need to worry about them any more, Swan."

The blonde heaved a sigh of relief. She had never really doubted the three thugs would be charged but she had worried West would somehow wriggle out of it.

"What evidence did you find against West?" Emma asked.

"Actually, that was all down to Miss Mills," Booth said with a smile. "She closed the case for us and even managed to secure key evidence against the puppet master."

"What do you mean?" Emma said, frowning.

"Your girlfriend managed to get her own mother on tape admitting to giving West the command to attack you. We've arrested Mrs Mills and she's currently remanded in a prison upstate waiting to face attempted murder charges too."

"How?" Emma asked, mouth agape.

"It was quite ingenious actually," Booth said, an amused smile on her face. "Miss Mills asked the hospital if she could speak to her mother, playing the part of the injured daughter. The hospital are obliged to record all phone conversations of prisoners so everything was caught on tape. Regina told her mother you had used her as a human shield. Don't worry," Booth said as Emma opened her mouth to protest. "We know that isn't true although corroborating the real version of events was the reason you two have not been allowed contact until now. Anyway, once Mrs Mills believed you had caused her daughter's injuries, she vowed to have West finish the job for her. She not only incriminated herself as being the person behind the attack, but also confirmed your claims that West was the one who commanded the three women to stab you, well, Miss Mills. All five women will be found guilty I can assure you."

Emma listened, mouth agape. She knew Regina was intelligent but even she was impressed with her girlfriend's plan to trick her own mother into confessing.

"It's over Swan," Booth said, smiling. "You, your baby, and Miss Mills are all safe."

Tears welled in Emma's eyes as relief washed over her.

"Can I speak to her?" she whispered.

"Of course," Booth smiled. He reached for his desk phone and pulled a scrap of paper from his drawer. "This phone call will be recorded by the way," he said as he dialled the number and put the phone to his ear.

Emma nodded her understanding and waited. She was used to not having privacy after three months inside.

"Ah Doctor Whale. It's Counsellor Booth from FCI. I'm good thank you. I have someone here who wants to speak to Miss Mills. Is she available? Yes, I'll wait."

There was a pause. Booth smiled reassuringly at the blonde as he waited for the doctor to take the phone to his patient.

"Ah good afternoon Miss Mills. It's Counsellor Booth calling. I trust you're feeling better today? I've very glad to hear that. I have someone here who wants to speak to you. I'll just pass you over."

Booth extended the phone to Emma who took it with a trembling hand.

"Regina?" she whispered, her heart pounding in her chest.


	34. Lovers Talking

"Emma! Oh it's so good to hear your voice!" came Regina's rushed response.

"Yours too," Emma said, grinning broadly. Booth smiled affectionately at the young woman and began filling in some paperwork he'd been putting off all week.

"How are you?" Regina asked.

"Fine, thanks to you," Emma replied. "What were you thinking putting yourself in harm's way like that?" She tried to sound angry but she was too relieved to hear her girlfriend sounding healthy and happy to succeed.

"I wasn't," Regina stated. "I wasn't thinking. It was a reaction. I just did it. I saw you were in danger, I saw your baby was in danger and I acted."

"You're an idiot," Emma replied. "You could have been killed."

"So could you, if I hadn't pushed you out of the way," Regina argued.

"You put more value on my life than your own?" Emma asked.

"Yours and your baby, yes."

There was a pause.

"Thank you," Emma whispered.

"You're welcome," Regina said. "And I'd do it again, a million times over."

"Well I'm hoping that situation won't happen again," Emma said.

Regina laughed. "Me too. Did you hear about my mother?"

"Yes," Emma nodded. "Booth just told me. I can't believe you got her to confess. And West is going down too as a result. You should have been a cop. You'd make one hell of an interviewer."

"I doubt the academy would take me with my record," Regina laughed dryly. "But thanks, I was rather proud of myself."

"Proud of putting your own mother away for your own attempted murder?"

"It sounds so fucked up when you say it like that," Regina sighed. Emma heard rustling and imagined the brunette settling back against the soft pillows of her hospital bed. "But she was never really a mother to me, not in the way mothers are supposed to be anyway."

"I know," Emma assured. "I'm not judging you for what you did. In fact I'm grateful and," Emma lowered her voice, "when you get back here I'll show you just how grateful I am."

Regina inhaled sharply. "Don't tease me, Miss Swan," she muttered. "I'm not going to be back at FCI for a few days and now I'm going to endure constant sexual frustration until that time."

"Sorry not sorry," Emma laughed, tucking her legs up underneath her on the chair and curling up more comfortably as she spoke. "I'm sure you can find a way to … relieve the pressure."

Booth was trying very hard not to listen, knowing he should be reprimanding his inmate for the way the conversation was going, but unable to bring himself to do so. The couple had been through so much, it was only natural to want to express their feelings physically.

"It's not the same as you," Regina sighed. "I miss you so much Emma."

"I miss you too. These last few days not being able to speak to you have been awful. I've barely left my bunk and I think Red and Snow are getting really worried."

"I'm sorry," Regina repeated.

"You really don't need to apologise again for saving my life," Emma assured.

"But it was my fault your life was even in danger in the first place. I knew what my mother was capable of and I knew West would do whatever that bitch told her to. I should have ended things between us to keep you safe."

"Is that what you wanted? Is that what you still want?" Emma asked, panicked.

"No, no, honey of course not!" Regina said, quickly. "I want to be with you more than anything. But it was selfish on my part to continue our relationship after those threats were made. I should have insisted we cool things off, at least until we got out. But I couldn't stay away from you. I can't stay away from you."

"I wouldn't have let you stay away from me," Emma countered. "We were both equally responsible for keeping our relationship going. But neither of us are to blame for what happened to you. That guilt will always be your mother's and sister's to bear."

There was a pause, both women listening to the steady rhythmic breathing of the other.

"Do you dream about it?" Regina asked after a while.

"Every night," Emma confirmed. "Although I'd call them nightmares rather than dreams."

"Are you talking to Booth about them?" Regina asked.

Are you talking to Glass about them?" Emma countered.

"No," Regina spat. "That man was so blatant in his homophobia that Gold has at last granted my request for a new counsellor. He reassigned me to Booth, figuring it made sense if one man handled both of our traumas."

"He's in for a treat," Emma chortled darkly. Booth looked up. "Are your ears burning counsellor?" Regina laughed.

"Just a little," the man smiled. "Don't forget I can listen back to everything you ladies are saying when the call is over," he called a little louder so Regina could hear.

"We'll keep that in mind," Emma laughed.

"So no phone sex?" Regina asked.

"Sadly not," Emma smiled. "How are you doing with your recovery anyway? I'm guessing ok if you're up for phone sex."

"I'm fine," Regina said. "As fine as one can be after being stabbed three times."

"And the surgery?" Emma asked. "Doctor Fisher mentioned there had been some complications but she wouldn't tell me what."

There was a pause before Regina spoke. "Something has happened as a result of the attack but I'd rather tell you in person."

"And how many days do I have to worry what that means for?" Emma asked, frowning. She knew it was something serious if Regina wanted to wait until they were face to face to discuss it.

"Some time next week. I'm not sure when. The doctor was initially saying I could be transferred on Monday but one of my surgery scars showed signs of infection yesterday. Don't worry," she assured as she heard Emma gasp. "They've pumped me full of penicillin and they're confident it will clear up soon. Hopefully I'll be back mid-week."

"Not soon enough," Emma complained. "I miss you so much. I just want to give you the biggest hug and reassure myself you're alright."

"I'm honestly fine. Well, I'm ok, considering the circumstances. And I'm expecting more that a hug when I do make it back to FCI."

Emma laughed. "I think I can manage that."

"So, what's the gossip mill done with our adventure?" Regina asked. "Inmates are so bored they sometimes spin the most fantastic tales."

"I don't really know," Emma admitted. "I've barely left my bunk except to come and see Booth every day."

"Emma," Regina said, softly. "You need to take care of yourself, for the baby's sake as much as your own. I know you're worried about me and you witnessed something horrible but you need to eat and go outside and try and live as normally as possible. Well, as normal as life ever is in prison."

"I know," Emma nodded. "I'm sure I'll be better after talking to you. Now I know you're really ok and you're really coming back to me. It's not that I didn't believe what Booth and Gold told me, but there was so much blood and …" Emma covered her mouth so Regina could't hear her cry.

"Emma, love," Regina said, tears forming in her own eyes. "I'm ok. Truly. I'm coming back to you. I will always come back to you. Please believe me."

Emma sniffed and wiped her eyes. "I know," she said, her voice trembling. "I know you're getting better and I know you're coming back. But every night … every night I dream about a different ending to the story. I'm in the bathroom with you again but this time I can't help you. I can't stop the bleeding. There's so much blood and I can't do anything. You look so pale and so small and then you … that brilliant, sparkling, loving light in your eyes, it just goes out. And I know you're gone. You're never coming back."

Booth was listening at this point. Emma had yet to speak in detail about the nightmares she admitted plagued her sleep every night.

Emma cried harder, her body shaking with sobs. Regina too was curled up in her hospital bed, tears rolling down her cheeks as she listened to her girlfriend's anguish.

After a few minutes, both women heard the ragged breathing of the other slow slightly and Regina cleared her throat, preparing to bare her soul to Emma once more.

"I dream too," she began. "Except the details are different. I don't make it in time. I don't manage to push you out of the way and those three shivs, they get you instead of me. I watch as you fall to the floor. I watch as your blood covers my hands as I try to save you. And your baby. Your beautiful bump is …," A sob tore from Regina's throat. "I can't save it. I can't save you. And every night it's the same. Every night I fail. Every time I wake up believing for a moment I can't save the people I love."

"People?" Emma asked, her own tears still falling.

"You and your baby," Regina confirmed. "I love you both Emma, so much."

"I love you too," Emma said, relieved those words weren't just said in the heat of the moment. "I love you Regina. And I'm ok. My baby is ok. You did save us. You didn't fail."

"Try telling my subconscious that," Regina remarked.

"Booth can help you," Emma said, glancing at the counsellor who nodded encouragingly. "I get the feeling he's going to be talking to me about my nightmares as soon as we hang up."

"You hadn't told him?" Regina asked.

"He didn't know the details until just now," Emma said, shaking her head. "I didn't want to admit that I can't forget the image of you, not for a moment. Every waking second I'm thinking about you in that bathroom and then when I close my eyes, the images just sharpen and what happened gets even worse."

"It will get better. We will get better, together."

"I can't wait until you get back here," Emma sighed. "I hate not being able to see you every day, to speak to you, to touch you."

"I'll be back before you know it. Do you think when I … oh really? Now?" Emma frowned. Faint voices could be heard from Regina's end. "No, no that's fine. Just give me one minute. Emma honey, I have to go. Doctor Whale is here to check my stitches and the infected wound. I'm so sorry."

"It's ok," Emma said. "I want you to get better as quickly as possible so you can come back to me. Do whatever the doctors tell you and don't be stubborn if they say you can't do something."

Regina laughed. "You know me too well."

"I want to know you even better," Emma said.

"Eurgh, when did we get so sappy?" Regina asked, still laughing.

"Probably around the time we fell in love," Emma replied with a shrug.

"I hate couples like us," Regina stated.

"Me too," Emma nodded. "But I love you, and I love us."

"I love you too. Be safe and I will see you very soon. Goodbye Emma."

"Goodbye Regina."

The phone went dead. Emma cradled it to her chest before handing it to Booth, who took it and replaced the receiver.

"Thank you," Emma whispered.

"You're welcome, Swan," Booth smiled. He capped his pen and leaned back in his chair, folding his arms. "Now, shall we get started on talking about these dreams?"

Emma groaned but nodded. "So they always start and end the same way. Regina and I are in the bathroom and …,"


	35. Together Again

"Not that I'm not pleased to see you up and about, but what are you doing here Swanny?" Red asked as she sat down heavily beside her bunkmate in the dining hall. It was early on Wednesday evening and the room was packed and noisy. Snow, Boyd and French were with Emma, all of them discussing the latest details of Boyd's fairytale wedding plan.

"Where else would I be when Athena's fish pie is on the menu?" Emma asked. "It's the best thing she cooks."

"With your girlfriend?" Red replied, eyebrow raised questioningly.

"What?" Emma asked, jumping to her feet. Well, not jumping. Her baby bump needed to be eased out from under the lip of the table as she stood. It was common knowledge in FCI by now that Emma Swan was pregnant with her ex boyfriend's bastard child. The blonde was ignoring the looks and whispers that followed her through the corridors.

"You didn't know?" Red frowned. "I just saw her being wheeled into the infirmary. She was grumbling about being perfectly capable of walking herself so I'm guessing she's doing ok."

Before Red had even finished, Emma was rushing out of the room. She walked as fast as her growing belly would allow and within minutes was pacing down the corridor leading to the infirmary. She didn't even bother to knock, pushing the door open and scanning the room quickly.

"Regina!" she gasped as she spotted the brunette in the far corner, looking grumpy as Fisher and Booth stood beside her bed talking to her. At the sound of her girlfriend's voice however, a brilliant smile spread across her face. The blonde raced across the room and wrapped Regina in a tight hug.

"Ow!" the older woman complained and Emma let go at once.

"Shit! I'm so sorry! I just, I needed to…,"

Regina smiled understandingly, and pulled Emma back to her by the front of her shirt, drawing the pale lips to her own. Booth and Fisher tactfully turned away as Emma let out a whimper at the familiar contact, her hands rising to cup Regina's face as their lips moved slowly over each other.

"I missed you so much," Regina whispered, resting her forehead against Emma's.

"I missed you more," Emma countered, placing another chaste kiss to the plump lips.

"Not possible," Regina insisted, winding her fingers into Emma's hair to pull her mouth downwards again.

After a minute or so, Booth cleared his throat and the couple broke apart. Emma smiled shyly at her counsellor and the man nodded kindly at her.

"I've just got a few more things to go over with you Miss Mills and then we'll get you settled for the night if that's ok?" Fisher asked.

Regina nodded and Emma made to move away.

"Stay," the brunette said, reaching for Emma's hand and pulling her girlfriend back to her side.

Emma smiled down at Regina and placed a light kiss to her temple before leaning against the bed and turning her attention to the doctor.

"So, as I was saying, the doctors at the hospital are confident your infection has cleared up now and all three wounds are healing very well. I'm going to leave the one in your side uncovered from now on but I'll continue to change the dressings on the deeper injuries twice a day until next Monday. You're also on bed rest until that time. The surgery was invasive and we don't want you to cause further trauma by moving around too much."

"Understood Doc," Regina nodded.

"That includes any activities usually performed in a bed too," Fisher added, looking from Emma to Regina and back again. Both women flushed scarlet. "Trust me, it's not worth the risk," the older woman advised.

Emma nodded mutely at the doctor's words and Regina just smirked.

"If all goes well, you can leave on Monday but I will need you back here every few days to check how your wounds are healing."

"Great, thank you," Regina said.

"You're welcome. We'll leave you two to catch up now," she said, smiling at the still blushing blonde before she and Booth turned to walk away. "Oh and Miss Swan, you have your five month ultrasound on Friday. Don't forget."

"In the calendar Doc," Emma nodded before quickly turning back to Regina. "Why didn't you tell me you were coming back today?" she asked, indignantly.

"I didn't know," Regina defended. "Like I told you on the phone yesterday, the plan was to move me tomorrow morning but apparently they didn't have a van available or something so it got changed. Why? Are you disappointed?"

"Hardly," Emma scoffed. "But I have something for your return and it's not quite finished yet."

"You're too sweet," Regina said. "I don't need anything except to be back here with you."

"May I?" Emma asked, opening her arms and mimicking a hug.

Regina laughed and shuffled over in her bed, patting the now empty area of mattress.

"You sure?" Emma asked. "I don't want to hurt you again."

"Just get up here and hug me woman!" Regina demanded with a laugh.

Emma grinned broadly and scrambled ungainly onto the bed. Settling herself down, she reached an arm around Regina's shoulders and the brunette rolled into her embrace, her head settled on Emma's swelling breasts.

"You've grown," Regina mumbled as she felt the steady rise and fall of Emma's breathing.

"I know," Emma grumbled. "I'm getting so fat!"

"You're pregnant Emma," Regina stated, moving her hand to cover the bump. "It doesn't count. And do you see me complaining about the increased size of certain things?" she asked as she twisted her head and placed a soft kiss to Emma's breast. Even through her shirt and bra, the action sent a pulse of heat straight to the blonde's core.

"Stop it," she growled.

"Sorry," the brunette relented. She knew there was no way the two of them would have a chance to be alone until she was discharged but it didn't stop her yearning to feel Emma under her fingertips again and to have Emma's lips and hands on her own flesh.

They lay there in silence, both women content to just be with each other, reassured that they were alive after the attack.

"So," Emma said after a long time. "Those complications Fisher mentioned. Will you tell me about them?"

Regina nodded against Emma's chest and leaned her head back so she could look into Emma's eyes. The blonde tightened her hold on the shorter woman, pulling her closer to her side as she gazed down into the chocolate orbs she had missed so much, waiting patiently for Regina to start speaking.

"I was stabbed three times," Regina began.

"I know. I was there, remember?" Emma quipped, the memory flashing unbidden into her mind.

"Sorry," Regina nodded, moving her hand up to stroke Emma's cheek. "So one of the stab wounds was superficial, nothing to worry about. It's uncovered if you want to see?" Emma nodded and Regina pulled up her hospital gown. Emma gulped. Even in papery hospital underwear, the brunette looked delectable. "Here," she said, gesturing to a jagged red line, about two inches long just above her waist, that now marred the previously flawless skin. "They took the stitches out a few days ago and it's healing fine. It doesn't even hurt that much."

Emma reached out tentatively and glanced at Regina. The brunette nodded so her fingers continued, tracing the outline of the scar.

"And the others?" Emma asked, removing her fingers after a few moments and allowing Regina to pull her gown back down.

"One, a piece of chainlink fence, stabbed my liver. The doctors decided to remove the section to avoid infection. It was a tiny piece however and the liver repairs itself quickly. It was also keyhole surgery so the scarring is going to be minimal. The only reason it's still covered was because it got infected. Apparently rusty metal isn't the cleanest."

"You don't say," Emma deadpanned. "And the last one?"

Regina took a deep, steadying breath but it came out in a rush of air as her body began shaking.

"Hey, hey! Babe, what's wrong?" Emma asked, panic flaring up as she saw tears streaming down her girlfriend's face. "Regina, what's happened? Are you going to be ok? You're scaring me."

"I'm sorry," Regina sobbed, burying her face in Emma's breast as sobs wracked her body. The movement pulled at her scar tissue, making it twinge with pain but she couldn't stop. She hadn't spoken to anyone about what had happened, not even Booth.

Emma waited patiently, stroking soothing patterns on Regina's back until her cries quietened and her breathing slowed. Eventually the brunette pulled back. Emma's concerned gaze met red rimmed eyes and the blonde gently wiped the falling tears away.

"The toothbrush, the one you pulled out of me," she began. "It … it lacerated my womb," Regina said, her voice low and shaky.

"When I pulled it out?" Emma asked, panicked. She had worried since the attack whether she had done the right thing by removing the shiv. What if her actions had done more harm than good?"

"No no, not at all honey," Regina assured. "The damage had already been done."

"What damage?" Emma asked, a knot in her stomach hardening. She had a horrible feeling she knew where this was going.

"The doctors tried but they couldn't save it. They had to remove … they removed my womb." Fresh tears streamed down Regina's face and Emma felt her own eyes burn as her mind processed the words.

"Oh Regina, I'm so sorry!" she gasped, pulling the woman back to her and wrapping her arms as tightly as she dared around the trembling frame.

"All I ever wanted was a family," Regina mumbled into Emma's chest. "My own children, my own flesh and blood."

Emma nodded understandably. She had always wanted a family of her own too. People to love her and support her unconditionally. But …

"Regina," Emma said softly, tilting the brunette's chin up with her finger so their eyes connected once more. "Blood doesn't make a family. Love does. My biological parents abandoned me on the side of the road despite me being their own child. Your mother had one of her daughters stab the other daughter. She's the mother to both of you and yet she's never been your mum has she? It doesn't matter who gives birth to you, it matters who loves you, who you can rely on, who will support you through the good times and the bad. Not being able to have your own children is horrible and I'm so, so sorry, but it doesn't mean you won't be a mother some day. It doesn't mean you won't have a loving, caring family in the future. You can have all that, you deserve all that, and I'm sure you will find what you're looking for."

Regina listened carefully to Emma's words and then tried to process them, lying in silence looking up into her girlfriend's face. She thought about the past week, alone in her hospital bed, crying about the loss of her ability to have her own children. It tormented her, it haunted her. And yet now … Now she was in Emma's arms with her heart beating steadily beneath her cheek, it didn't seem like the end of the world. Emma was right. She could still have a family. Blood hadn't made her own mother a good parent so the lack of a blood connection wouldn't stop her from being the best mother she could be.

She smiled weakly. "I think I already have," she murmured. An Emma's confused face, she elaborated. "I've found what I'm looking for." The brunette moved up the blonde's body and placed a kiss to a mouth hanging open slightly in surprise. "You, Emma. You're my family now."

Tears spilled from Emma's eyes as she heard the words. She had never had a family before. Not really. Not one she could remember. And now she lay with a beautiful woman in her arms and a baby growing inside her. She pulled her arms tighter around Regina and pressed their lips firmly together.

"Just the three of us," Emma whispered, guiding Regina's hand down to rest with her own over her abdomen.

The two woman lay entangled in each other's embrace, exchanging soft, loving kisses, until Doctor Fisher emerged from her office two hours later and told Emma she needed to head back to her own bunk for count.

Reluctantly slipping off the bed, Emma turned back to her tired but happy looking girlfriend and bent over to kiss her goodnight.

"I love you," Emma whispered as she pulled away.

"I love you too," Regina replied, sleepily.

Emma flinched. "I forget how cold that gel is every time," she grumbled.

Regina smiled and squeezed her hand as the doctor spread the jelly over the bare, swelling bump. The two women were lying side by side on Regina's hospital bed. Emma had refused point blank to allow the brunette to walk the ten yards or so into the doctor's office but she also insisted Regina be present at the five month scan. They had compromised when Fisher suggested Emma just stay where she had become a permanent feature over the past few days and wheeled the monitor over to the couple.

"Ok, here we go," Fisher said as she switched on the screen.

Instinctively, Emma turned over, focusing on the delicate shell of Regina's ear. The brunette glanced at the screen for a moment, smiled when she saw the baby and then turned her head to face Emma.

"Are you sure you don't want to look?" she murmured, her warm breath tickling Emma's lips.

The blonde didn't reply. Her mind was racing. She had barely four months to decide what was going to happen to her baby. She thought she had decided: she thought she didn't have a choice. But the last few days were making her reconsider. Perhaps she did have a decision to make.

Regina smiled softly as she watched different emotions flicker across the beautiful face of her girlfriend. She didn't want to pressure Emma into looking at her baby if she didn't want to, but she believed deep down that Emma really did want to see her child. Despite everything she said, despite the decision the blonde had made, Regina thought it was still important for her to see the baby.

Emma closed her eyes and took a deep breath. Slowly, very slowly, she rolled her head back. Her eyes were still closed as both Regina and the doctor watched the blonde apprehensively. Exhaling, Emma opened her eyes and turned her head slightly towards the screen beside her bed.

The image was fuzzy. Black, white and grey. Flickering and changing rapidly.

The doctor moved the probe slightly and Emma gasped as the distinct shape of a baby appeared.

"Do you want to hear the heartbeat?" Fisher asked softly.

Emma nodded, her eyes glued on the screen, and the doctor twisted a switch. The pounding thud filled the room, reverberating off the walls. Emma could feel the strong, steady rhythm in every fibre of her being.

The image she was still staring at blurred and she realised she was crying. Regina gently wiped her tears away, smiling lovingly at the emotions all over Emma's face.

"Isn't it beautiful," she whispered.

"It's perfect," Emma breathed, hardly able to believe the image on the screen was really the little person growing inside her.

"I'll just take a photo for you to keep and then I'll leave you two alone," Fisher said, fiddling with the machine before stowing the probe away. Emma's face dropped as the image of her baby disappeared and the sound of its heartbeat faded. As soon as the gel was wiped away, she pulled down her shirt and rolled over, burying her face in Regina's neck.

"I can't give them away Regina," Emma sobbed as the brunette's slender arms enveloped her. "I can't do it."

Regina hugged the shaking body closer to her, stroking Emma's hair. She understood her girlfriend's anguish. Being forced to give up a wanted child was one of the worst things the brunette could think of. She had been struggling to fully comprehend her own situation over the past ten days, helped more recently by speaking to both Emma and Booth. The fact that she would never be pregnant had barely sunk in on top of the fact that Emma was pregnant and unable to keep her child, despite clearly wanting to. Regina would do anything to save Emma the pain of being separated from her baby.

The brunette looked at her wrist, resting against Emma's shoulder. The red, blue and yellow friendship bracelet the blonde had presented her with the day before sat perfectly against her olive skin. "It stands for love, commitment, and friendship," her girlfriend had said as she delicately tied the strings together. Regina regarded the bracelet, looking at the intricate ways the colours intertwined, before cupping Emma's cheek and moving her face upwards until tear-filled eyes met her own.

"Maybe there's another way," Regina murmured softly.


	36. Our Shrimp

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> NSWF

"What other way?" Emma asked, her voice choked with her sobs and tears still rolling down her cheeks.

"Me," Regina murmured, wiping some of the tears away with the pad of her thump.

"You?" Emma asked, her brow furrowed in confusion. "What do you mean?"

"I want to look after your baby, Emma," Regina explained. "I want to look after him or her until you get out and then … then we can be a family, just like you said."

Emma stared at her girlfriend, rapidly trying to process the information.

"You, you'd do that?" Emma breathed, hardly daring to get her hopes up at the possibility that she might be able to raise her child.

"Nothing would make me happier," Regina smiled. "I know we've only been together a few months, we're young and we're both in prison right now but this, us, it makes me feel better than I've ever felt in my life and it's all because of you, Emma. You make me so unbelievably happy and I want us to be together for a very, very long time."

The blonde released a shuddering breath as she listened to Regina. Her heart pounded in her chest as the realisation of what the older woman was saying slowly sank in.

"Us," she began. "Me, you, and the little shrimp? We'd be a family?"

"I want that more than anything else in the world," Regina replied, placing a tender kiss to Emma's lips.

"Me too," the blonde breathed as they broke apart. Their mouths reconnected, tongues reaching out to stroke one another as the two women felt the heat between them build. Knowing Doctor Fisher was in her office, Regina reluctantly pulled away before nestling closer to Emma and placing her hand on her stomach.

"Shrimp?" the brunette asked after a moment's silence.

Emma snorted with laughter. "I thought he or she looked like a shrimp in the scan image," she admitted. "We can't keep saying it and I don't know if it's a boy or a girl yet."

"So you went for the name of a tiny shellfish?" Regina asked, laughing.

"It wasn't the best but I think it kind of suits them, don't you?"

"I'm so telling them that when they're born," Regina chuckled, rubbing the bump lovingly.

Emma's face fell suddenly. "You won't be here."

Regina tilted her head to look at Emma. "No," she said softly. "I get out July 28th."

"That's two months from tomorrow!" Emma exclaimed, alarmed at the thought of Regina leaving so soon.

"I know," she nodded. "I wish I could be here with you but there's no way in hell Gold will allow that. They've already looked the other way when it comes to our relationship and they're never going to allow a former inmate back into the main prison block to be present at a birth."

"I'll be alone," Emma said, the realisation hitting her at last.

"I wish it could be different, Emma. I would give anything to be here with you but I can't."

"But you'll be able to take temporary custody of Shrimp?" Emma asked.

"I'm not sure what legal hoops we'd have to go through but I'll try my hardest to make sure Shrimp is placed in my arms and no one else's," she promised, kissing Emma's lips once more.

"God, I love it when you use air quotes," Emma said, kissing Regina again. "But seriously," she said as they broke apart, "I need to know you mean this Regina. I can't allow myself to believe you'll take my baby for me and then it doesn't work out and I end up having to give them away. It would destroy me."

"Let's talk to Booth about it on Monday," Regina said. "I'll think about it over the weekend. Not that I'm having any doubts," she assured Emma, "but I want to be sure I'm making the right decision for all of us, not just the one that would make me happy."

Emma nodded her agreement and pulled Regina back to her.

A family. She, Emma Swan, might have her own family, people who love her. The blonde closed her eyes as she stroked Regina's hair, the brunette's head nestled beneath her chin, delicate fingers tracing random patterns on her stomach. Emma would do anything to stay there forever, to be with Regina forever, to have a family to call her own, forever.

"Good morning ladies," Booth smiled as Emma and Regina walked into his office on Monday morning. The brunette was moving slightly stiffly but otherwise seemed to be recovering well. Emma, on the other hand, looked nervous. "I thought I was only meeting Miss Mills this morning. Do you two want a joint session?"

"Not exactly," Emma said as she helped Regina into a seat despite the brunette batting her hand away. "We've come for some advice," she said as she settled in the chair beside her girlfriend.

"Oh yes?" Booth asked, eyebrow raised.

"My baby," Emma began. "I know I can't look after him or her until I get out and I know I said I would be giving it up for adoption but, well Regina's suggested something else." Booth nodded, slowly. He thought he knew where this was going. "She wants to be granted custody until January, until I'm released." Emma said in a rush, Regina's hand clasped tightly in her own.

Booth leaned back in his chair and considered the two women before him. He had spoken to them both at length about the attack and the trauma they had witnessed and experienced. He knew the couple were close, infatuated with one another, and completely in love. But he was also realistic, pragmatic. Booth had a responsibility to the child as well as to his inmates and he knew whichever way the situation resolved itself, it was going to be difficult for everyone involved.

"OK," Booth began. "So Swan, your due date is the end of September correct? And Mills you get out at the end of July?" Both women nodded. "Granting temporary custody of your baby to someone else is not a decision to be taken lightly. Swan, you'll be in prison for another four months after you give birth and you will have no control over what Mills does outside these walls."

"I trust Regina with my life and that of my child," Emma said firmly.

"I'm not saying you don't," Booth assured, "but it is a significant ask and Mills must understand fully what being a mother to someone else's child involves."

"It was my suggestion," Regina said, shortly. She didn't like the man's tone.

"Why?" Booth asked. "Why did you offer to take Swan's baby now, not before the attack? You already knew about the pregnancy did you not?"

"You think this is about what happened to me?" Regina asked. "You think this is some psychological reaction to me not being able to have children of my own?" Booth said nothing, waiting for Regina to continue. "I love Emma. I love Shrimp even if I think the name is ridiculous. I want to look after Emma's baby because I love them, not because they're some replacement for my own non-existent children. And I know it's a huge commitment and we've barely been together three months but this is right. I know it's right. Emma doesn't have to give up her baby if I do this. I want to do this for her and also for me. I'm doing this for us."

Emma smiled at her girlfriend as her speech ended. Booth regarded the couple with a twinge of jealously as he wondered why he had never found love like theirs.

"What if something goes wrong between you?" Booth pressed, knowing he needed to ask the hard questions.

"It won't," Emma said defensively.

"But if it does," Regina continued, "we'll do what is best for the child. It's Emma's baby and I'm not going to run off with Shrimp whilst she's locked up if that's what you're worried about."

"I know you wouldn't do that babe," Emma said.

"I know you know that but Booth seems to think I've got an ulterior motive," Regina said, a little exasperated.

"Not at all," Booth said, quickly. "But this is a life changing decision for the two of you to make, not to mention the process you're about to embark on."

"What process?" the two women said at the same time.

"It's not as simple as you just saying you want Mills to take care of your baby, Swan," Booth explained. "There are procedures, protocol, courts."

"Courts?" Emma frowned. "But I want Regina to have Shrimp. Can't I just write a letter giving her temporary guardianship? I read up on it over the weekend," she added as Booth looked at her in surprise.

"Usually yes," he nodded. "But Mills has a criminal record. The family court will have to decide whether she is fit to be a mother before they sign off on your request. And because Mills doesn't get out until two months before you give birth, we can do very little about your request until then."

Emma slumped back in her seat. "So that's it?" she asked, dejected.

"For now," Booth nodded. "But we can start to prepare for the court appearances and put a good plan in place for Mills to follow when she gets out to make sure she is in the strongest position possible when the hearing is called."

"I already have a plan," Regina declared, smiling sideways at Emma. The two had talked late into the evening the previous day, curled up in the brunette's hospital bed, as they imagined their future family.

"OK," Booth smiled. "Then we have a good start. And I am willing to work with both of you to help this happen."

"Thank you," Emma smiled.

"You're welcome. I do have one more question though. Shrimp?"

Regina folded her arms and looked pointedly at the blonde. Emma smiled sheepishly.

"I saw them for the first time on Friday," she admitted to her counsellor, who raised his eyebrows in surprise. "I don't know the sex yet but I thought they looked a bit like a shrimp so …,"

Booth looked thoughtful for a moment, like he was trying to picture something in his mind, before he reached into the desk drawer and pulled out two small photographs.

"Yes, I suppose you're right. Shrimp does suit them," he said smiling.

Emma's breath hitched. "Are those … do you have … can I see?" she asked.

Booth smiled and handed over the photographs from her first two ultrasounds. A tear rolled down Emma's cheek as she saw her baby once again.

"How come you have these?" she whispered, looking up at Booth with her eyes shining.

"I asked Doctor Fisher to give me a copy. I figured you'd want to see them one day."

"Thank you," Emma said through a watery smile.

"You're most welcome, Swan," Booth said kindly. "Now is there anything else or do you want to begin your session Mills?"

The brunette nodded and Emma stood to leave, placing a gentle kiss to the top of Regina's head and moving towards the door

"So, you left the infirmary a few hours ago, how does it feel to be back in your own bunk again?" Booth began as the lock clicked shut.

Emma grasped the material in her trembling fingers and tugged Regina's shirt over her head. Running her hands through the long brown locks, she leaned down and placed a kiss on open, plump lips. Regina moaned as Emma's tongue swiped her lip before delving inside to taste her fully. Skating her fingertips up the toned stomach beneath her, Emma grazed the lace of Regina's black bra before sliding her hands beneath her girlfriend to release the clasp.

Sitting upright, Emma sat on Regina's hips, her knees either side as she looked down at the topless woman between her thighs. Regina's eyes were dark with lust as she watched Emma's gaze rake over her flesh. Slowly, Emma reached out and traced the outline of the scar just below Regina's left breast. The wound was almost healed but the skin still looked angry and purple. The blonde leaned down and placed a tender kiss on it. Regina's breath hitched at the delicate touch and the feel of Emma's pregnancy bump pressed against her abdomen. Open mouthed kisses traveled downwards towards the scar on Regina's side. Now completely healed, Emma peppered the skin with kisses, reverently worshipping the healing powers of the human body. Her lips left Regina's waist and moved inwards. The brunette's hands shot up and landed on Emma's shoulders, pushing her away.

The blonde sat back at once.

"Are you ok?" she asked, breathing heavily.

"I … I hate that scar," she admitted, covering the largest wound with her hand.

Emma nodded understandingly. "You're still beautiful Regina. You're the most beautiful woman I've ever seen. These scars, they're a sign of strength, a sign that you're a fighter, a survivor. They're a sign of your love and devotion to me and my baby. I don't ever want you to believe you're no longer beautiful or you're somehow marred by what you've been through. Those scars, they would have been on my body were it not for you. And this one," Emma's hand covered Regina's, "I don't want to know what this one would have done to me and Shrimp."

Regina nodded, her eyes glassy as she listened to her girlfriend. Slowly, she removed her hand and gave a slight nod. Emma smiled encouragingly before leaning down and placing one soft kiss just below the brunette's naval and above her scar.

"I've missed your touch so much," Regina moaned, her fingers twisting in blonde locks.

"I've missed touching you," Emma smiled. "We should write French a thank you card for allowing us to use the library and giving us some privacy for tonight."

"Later," Regina said. "Right now, I'd like your fingers doing something other than writing notes."

Emma smirked and wriggled backwards until she stood from the soft chair on which Regina was sat and she had been kneeling. Between them, Regina's pants and panties were tangled on the floor in seconds as Emma knelt in front of the chair and pulled the brunette towards her. With one thigh on either shoulder, the blonde shuffled closer, inhaling deeply as the scent of her girlfriend reached her nose.

"Oh God I've missed you so much," Emma said before she leaned the rest of the way forward and covered Regina's glistening sex with her mouth.

The brunette cried and arched into the sudden touch. Fingers gripped Emma's scalp as a firm, long, slow lick was delivered from her dripping entrance up to the throbbing bud at the apex of her legs. Gathering the moisture on her tongue, Emma slid it back down again before circling Regina's entrance. Dipping inside just for a moment, Emma smirked as Regina bucked forwards into the movement. Bringing her right hand up, Emma wriggled her fingers beneath Regina and pushed two straight into the waiting channel. Regina arched upwards, another cry echoing around the silent library. Emma was glad French had left her the key so they could lock the door. Focusing on her task, the blonde set a steady rhythm, pushing her fingers in as far as possible before curling the tips and sliding them very slowly back out, stroking the spongy inner wall as she did so. Her mouth meanwhile was sucking hard on Regina's clit, her tongue flicking over the tip relentlessly. It didn't take long for Regina to let out a scream, an actual scream, and Emma felt the woman shatter beneath her touch. Regina's tight channel clenched and unclenched around her fingers, copious wetness leaking from it and dripped onto the chair. Her clit twitched and hardened as Emma slowed her tongue and lay the hot, wet muscle flat against it until Regina pushed her away, too sensitive to stand any more.

Emma sat back on her heels, looking proudly at her satiated girlfriend as she licked her fingers clean and waited for Regina to open her eyes again. When she did, she laughed breathlessly at the smug look on the blonde's face.

"You don't have to look so pleased with yourself Emma," Regina teased.

"I promised myself I'd give you an amazing orgasm as an I'm glad you're better present. I think I succeeded."

"I'd say so," Regina agreed. "I can't believe Fisher took a week signing me off bedrest. But now she finally has," she said as she slid off the chair and pushed the still fully clothed blonde to the floor, "it's time for me to give you your Thank you for letting me raise your baby present."

Regina leaned in to kiss Emma but a hand on her shoulder stopped the movement.

"Our baby," the blonde whispered. "Shrimp is our baby, Regina. We're doing this together."

Regina's heart swelled with happiness as she smiled down at the blonde before moving to kiss her, tasting her essence on her lover's lips as she did so.


	37. Normality Restored

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> NSFW

June 2015

"I'm not lying," Emma insisted, grabbing Regina's hand and placing it back against her belly. "Shrimp kicked. Just wait a moment and you'll feel it too."

"Emma it was probably your stomach rumbling, as usual," the brunette sighed.

"No, it was Shrimp. I'm sure of it," Emma said. "Doc said to expect some movement as I pass 20 weeks, didn't she. It's been 23 weeks so the little one's a bit late but making up for it. That was a strong kick."

Regina sighed and allowed her hand to splay out against the swelling stomach whilst she settled against the wall and continued to read her book. It was a Tuesday morning and she and Emma were sat side by side on her bed, enjoying the quiet bunk whilst the rest of the prisoners were at work. Regina still hadn't been cleared to go back even though her surgery scars had healed and her job was mostly desk bound. Emma had been allowed to stop work due to her pregnancy and the stress of the attack so both women had spent the time since Regina's release lounging around the prison, loving being able to be together every waking second without fear.

"Enjoying the book?" Emma asked as she waited for Shrimp to prove her right.

"Yes," Regina nodded. "Tremain has quite a gift."

"Told you," Emma smirked. "I've read all of the ones in this library though. I'd recommend The Road Home after you fin- did you feel that?" she asked excitedly.

Regina stared at her hand covering Emma's stomach. A distinct nudge had been felt against her palm. Slowly, a wide smile spread over her face as she looked up into the emerald eyes before her.

"Shrimp," she whispered.

"Our baby's moving," Emma nodded.

"How does it feel?" Regina asked.

"Strange," Emma replied. "I can feel little ripples over my whole stomach and the kicks feel like someone is poking me gently from the inside out."

Regina gazed back at the bump in awe, her hand still in position, eager to feel Shrimp again.

The two women sat like that until Shrimp moved to press on Emma's bladder and the moment was broken.

"Are you really going to make me sit here and fold things every single day now?" Emma asked Boyd as she threw another towel onto the pile.

"Yep," Boyd confirmed. "Your girlfriend is still super scary when she wants to be and she made me promise to look out for you. You're not allowed to stand up for long periods of time and you're not allowed to lift anything."

Emma grumbled as she picked up the next towel. "I'm five and a half months pregnant. I have another two months before I'm signed off on maternity leave. Are you honestly going to confine me to this boring ass task the entire time?"

"I do not want my head ripped off and impaled on a spike," she replied darkly.

"Regina wouldn't actually do that," Emma reasoned.

"Wouldn't she?" Boyd asked, eyebrow raised.

"Well, probably not," Emma conceded. "But who's going to tell her if you let me get up and walk around just a little bit. I promise not to say anything."

"Swanny, don't even try it. I'll tie you to the chair if I have to," the blonde teased.

"You're both mean," Emma said, glaring at her friend.

"No, we care about you and about your baby and want to keep you both safe. It's different," Boyd argued.

"Seems the same to me," Emma declared as she finished folding the towels and stood to carry them over to the storage area.

"Nope! Don't even try it Swan," Boyd said, scowling as she walked over and batted Emma's hands away before pointing to the chair and waiting until the pregnant woman had sat down.

"Oh Regina is so in for it," Emma groaned as she settled back in her chair once more.

"If you don't let me do my normal work tasks, I'm not going to let you come," Emma whispered as she licked the shell of Regina's ear.

Biting her lip at the sensation, the brunette steadied her voice before replying. "How are they the same thing?"

Emma moved back, sliding her hands down Regina's sides and pulling her top up and off before reaching to remove her own. The brunette's hands moved instantly to caress her swollen belly.

"Because I want to work," Emma said, placing a kiss to Regina's lips. "And you want to come."

As she spoke, Emma's hands slid lower, beneath the waistband of Regina's trousers and over the smooth mound to her waiting heat. The brunette's breath hitched but she didn't break eye contact, looking challengingly at the younger woman as her fingertips teased through dripping folds.

"So, what's it going to be?" Emma asked as her fingers slid further, circling Regina's entrance before moving back up and skating over her clit. Regina said nothing, her resolve still strong. "Fair enough," Emma said, sinking onto her knees. "I like a challenge."

Pulling Regina's pants and panties down, Emma wasted no time in covering the slick sex with her mouth. The brunette leaned backwards against the laundry room wall as her hands moved to Emma's hair. The tip of the blonde's tongue fluttered against her clit before moving down to press against her opening. Quickly replacing her tongue with one, then two fingers, Emma leaned back on her heels and looked up to Regina's face, the brunette's chest rising and falling heavily.

"Can I work like a normal person yet?" Emma asked.

"No," Regina said through gritted teeth as Emma's fingers continued to pump inside her.

Smiling salaciously, Emma returned her mouth to Regina's clit, adding a third finger as she did so to stretch the brunette wider in the most delicious way. Regina bucked her hips forward, the pressure inside coiling as she watched the blonde between her legs. Emma nipped her clit, causing Regina to cry out. As Emma felt the telltale contractions around her fingers, she stopped moving her mouth and pulled her fingers away.

Regina whimpered at the loss and glowered at Emma as the blonde leaned back once more.

"Can I work now?"

Regina let out a shuddering breath. "No," she replied. "I don't want you lifting things when you're pregnant."

"Then you'd better lift yourself onto that table over there," Emma said, standing up and pushing Regina gently towards a space on the work surface where she'd laid towels earlier.

Regina arched an eyebrow but complied, hopping up and watching as Emma rid herself of the rest of her clothes. Once the brunette was lying on her back, a naked Emma climbed up herself, ignoring Regina's hands which shot out to help her. When she was kneeling beside her girlfriend, Emma placed a gentle kiss to Regina's lips before positioning one knee on either side of Regina's head, facing down the toned body beneath her. The brunette's breath hitched when she realised what Emma's plan was. Staring up into the dripping sex, Regina could smell the blonde's essence, now mere inches from her face.

"If you're not going come, I certainly am," Emma said as she lowered herself onto the eager mouth beneath her.

Regina lapped instantly at the proffered pussy, her tongue laving every inch of Emma as the blonde fell forwards onto her forearms, steadying herself and taking most of her weight to avoid smothering Regina. Not that the brunette seemed to mind as her hands came up to wrap around Emma's thighs, pulling her harder against her tongue and lips.

Emma groaned as she felt Regina's tongue slide inside her, flickering against her walls. She leaned forwards and covered Regina's sex with her own mouth, drawing a gasp from the brunette who broke away from Emma and looked down to see the younger woman lying as on top of her as her pregnant belly would allow.

Smirking into Regina's sex at the fact that her movement had made the brunette stop, Emma paused her licks too. Turning her head, she caught Regina's eye and asked once more: "Can I work?"

Without waiting for an answer, Emma resumed her thorough exploration of Regina's soaked folds, smiling as she felt Regina do the same. The sounds of tongues laving wet flesh filled the laundry room as both women worked hard to push the other to their peak. Deciding Regina needed a little more to get her to the edge, Emma used her hands to spread the brunette's ass cheeks and circled the hidden puckered hole with one finger.

"Yes!" Regina's cry was muffled against Emma's sex but the blonde knew exactly what she had said. Sliding her finger up to coat it in wetness, she moved it back down and gently pushed inside Regina's ass. Hips bucked up into Emma's face and the blonde pinned her more firmly as she sealed her mouth around Regina's clit. The younger woman was struggling to focus as Regina's own tongue circled her clitoris tightly before sucking it hard. Emma moaned as she felt the brunette's teeth graze over the nerves and she teased Regina's clit at the same time, mirroring her girlfriend's movements. Regina cried out, the sound smothered as she maintained contact with Emma's sex. Leaning back, Emma ground down lightly against Regina's face, using the added pressure to tip herself over the edge and she choked out Regina's name before falling forwards once more, her head resting on a trembling thigh as aftershocks rippled through both women's spent bodies.

"OK," Regina sighed and Emma climbed off the brunette, turned around and lay beside her, snuggling up close. "You can work normally, but only until Doctor Fisher says otherwise."

"Deal," Emma smiled, pressing a kiss to Regina's lips.

"Why don't you want to know?" Emma asked.

"I just like the idea of being surprised," Regina shrugged. The two women were sat outside Doctor Fisher's office, waiting for Emma's six month scan. "I don't care whether Shrimp is a boy or a girl, I just want them to be happy and healthy."

"Or you've become so fond of the name Shrimp that you don't want us to start saying he or she?" Emma teased.

"Hardly," Regina chuckled. "But it's your baby, we can find out if you want to."

"It's our baby," Emma reminded her girlfriend. "But I do want to know. I've always been impatient. I can't wait another three months to find out."

"I suppose it would make decorating the nursery and buying clothes in what society would label gender appropriate colours easier," Regina mused. "OK, if that's what you want, we can ask Fisher now."

"Ask me what?" the woman said, coming out of her office and smiling at the couple.

"The sex of the baby," Emma said.

"Are you sure you want to know?" Fisher asked as she stood back to let the two women walk past her into the office.

Regina and Emma shared a look before the brunette nodded once and turned back to Doctor Fisher.

"Yes," Regina said firmly.

"It's a boy."

Emma gasped. "Shrimp is a boy?"

Fisher nodded. "Yep. I've known since your first scan actually. Booth knows too. Congratulations Miss Swan. And Miss Mills," she added as an afterthought.

Regina smiled gratefully and turned to place a hand tenderly on Emma's stomach. "Hello little man," she said, bending over to speak closer to the bump.

"We're going to have a son," Emma whispered, resting one hand on Regina's shoulder and the other on the swell of her belly.

"Yes, we are," Regina smiled, straightening up and placing a chaste kiss to Emma's lips.

"So, are you ready to see him again?" Fisher asked, turning from the ultrasound machine and gesturing for Emma to hop up onto the examination bed once more.


	38. Happy Birthday

July

"I told you, I don't want a fuss."

"But you're turning 25. We have to have a party. You're an entire quarter of a century old," Emma protested, plopping herself down on the edge of Regina's bed. It was a week before the brunette's birthday and the younger woman had asked what Regina wanted to do. Apparently nothing.

"Urgh, don't remind me!" Regina implored. "25 years of my life and I've spent three of them in prison. I have nothing to show for my time on earth so far. No job, no qualifications beyond high school. What exactly do I have to celebrate?"

"Just because you don't have a degree, doesn't mean you're not successful or you won't be successful," Emma said gently. "I never even graduated high school so what hope is there for me if you've given up."

"The only thing I've ever been good at is dealing drugs," Regina replied, lying down on her bed and looking at her pregnant girlfriend perched next to her. "I'm not going down that road again."

"No, you're going down the road of training racehorses. You don't need a degree in that, you need experience and skill. Both of which you have in abundance … apparently."

"Oh I have both," Regina assured. "I have the skills. But who will trust me? Who will allow me to train their horses or buy ones I've bred? My family is high profile enough that my arrest made the news. No one is going to want their prized steed associated with an ex-con."

"If you're as good as you say you are, will it really matter?" Emma asked.

"The name is tarnished. To be honest, I'm not quite sure why my mother wanted me back at the family stables. The only reason that's still running is because she hired new trainers without the Mills surname."

"Then don't use your surname," Emma shrugged.

"Oh really? And what name do you propose I use?" Regina asked with a sigh.

"Swan."

There was a long pause. "Are you asking me to marry you, Emma," Regina asked in a whisper, despite the bunk being deserted.

"No," Emma replied. "I'm just suggesting you use my name for the purpose of the business. I mean, we're family now, right? Marriage, that will come later. If you want," she added quickly.

"I … Can I think about it?" Regina asked.

"Of course," Emma replied, smiling softly. "In the meantime, what sort of party do you want and who do you want to be there?"

"I don't want anything, really. I just want to spend it with you," Regina said. "I'm not exactly a birthday person."

"Who doesn't like birthdays?" Emma asked.

"Me."

"Can I ask why?" Emma pressed, sensing there was something Regina wasn't telling her.

Regina sighed and sat up, swinging her legs around so she was sitting beside Emma. "My father," she began. "He died three days before my eighteenth birthday. I've not celebrated one since."

"I'm so sorry, Regina," Emma said, snaking her hand into Regina's. "I didn't mean to push you. I didn't know. We don't have to do anything."

"It's sweet that you want to," Regina said, wiping a few tears away before turning to look at Emma. "I'd just rather ignore it in the hope that the memories of my father stay away too."

"Doesn't Booth say it's better to talk about traumatic experiences than to pretend they never happened?" Emma asked.

"How about we take it one trauma at a time?"

"Then why don't you tell me about a good memory of your father," Emma suggested. "I want to know about your childhood Regina, and not just the shitty things your mother did to you."

Regina nodded slowly. "We used to hack together. Go out for rides in the countryside," she explained when Emma frowned. "Every weekend Daddy and I would put aside a couple of hours and saddle up the horses. It would just be the two of us, exploring the woods surrounding the stables. The horses we rode were all ex-racers and they would always compete with each other when we cantered or galloped. It's not like we couldn't stop them if we wanted, but there's something exhilarating about feeling this powerful animal explode underneath you. As soon as we'd nudge their sides, every fibre of their bodies would tense and suddenly you'd be flying along, wind in your hair and the thundering of hooves filling your ears. Daddy always let me win. Just as we reached the brow of the hill or a gate, he'd pull back. It took me years to work out he did that."

Regina paused, a wistful expression on her face as she remembered those days riding through the woods. "Sometimes we'd take a picnic too. There was a small brook at the bottom of the hill and we'd tie the horses to a tree and eat our lunch beside the water. I felt so safe when I was with him. I told him everything. Whenever I had a problem at school or with my mother, I'd go to Daddy and he'd make everything ok again. He was the first person I came out to and he accepted it immediately. He loved Danielle too and supported our relationship from the moment I confided in him. The day he died, I felt like I was completely alone in the world for the first time."

"He sounds like a wonderful father," Emma murmured. "He clearly loved you and treasured you more than anything in the world. I can't imagine what his death did to you. But you're not alone, Regina. Not any more."

"I know," Regina smiled weakly. "Thank you."

Emma tapped her fingers impatiently against the telephone booth as she waited for the automated message to end.

"Hey Swan," Lily said. "Wasn't expecting to hear from you."

"Hi Lils," Emma replied. "How are you doing?"

"Can't complain, you?"

"I could complain about many things but mostly I'm good thanks," she said, running a hand over her belly as she spoke.

"Glad to hear that. What do you need?" Lily asked, knowing there was a reason behind her former friend's phone call.

"Another favour," Emma said. "Sorry," she added.

"No problem, what is it?" Lily asked.

"I need you to buy something and send it to the prison."

"Is this something that could get me in trouble?" Lily asked.

"Not at all," Emma assured. "It's a present, for my girlfriend."

There was a pause. "Sure," Lily replied. "What do you want me to buy?"

"Come with me," Regina said as she walked up to Emma on Saturday morning.

"Why?" Emma asked, getting to her feet anyway, leaving her half eaten breakfast and following her girlfriend from the dining hall.

"We have a visitor today."

"We?" Emma frowned. "Who?"

"A real estate agent," Regina said as the couple made their way towards the visitation area. "I was thinking about what you said during our conversation on Wednesday, I made some calls. I realised I do want to set up some stables and I thought I'd get a head start on looking for properties now. I want your opinion too."

"What good is my opinion going to be when looking at stables? I've never even been to a yard."

"Well I thought since you and the baby will be living there too, you'd want some input in where Swan's Stables is located and the living arrangements."

"Swan's Stables?" Emma asked, stopping dead in her tracks.

Regina turned and smiled at her stunned girlfriend. "I was also considering what you said about using your name."

Emma stood stock still before launching herself at Regina and kissing her hard.

"I love you," she said as they broke apart.

"I love you too, Emma," Regina smiled. "Now shall we go and see what this agent has to show us?"

Emma nodded and the two walked down the corridor.

It was easy to spot the real estate agent. His suit was too expensive and his eyes darted around too nervously to be a regular in the prison's visitation area.

"Good morning Mr Hopper. I'm Regina Mills," she smiled, holding out her hand for the man to shake. He did so tentatively, scanning Regina and Emma trying to gauge his new clients. "This is Emma Swan," she added, gesturing to Emma as the two women sat down opposite Hopper.

"Nice to meet you both," Hopper said, his voice a little shaky. "So you're interested in purchasing some stables?"

"Yes," Regina confirmed. "The site will need an onsite residence too and at least 30 acres of land, as I told you earlier in the week."

Hopper nodded and reached down into a briefcase. "I have some properties to show you here. All of them meet the specifications you requested over the phone. Their prices range from $200,000 to $1,000,000," he explained as he spread the papers over the table.

"Jesus!" Emma exclaimed. Regina placed a hand on the blonde's knee.

"Money's not a problem," Regina said quickly. "Are all of these properties available for a quick sale?"

"Yes," Hopper confirmed. "No chains on any of them."

"Great," Regina said as she flicked through the papers.

Emma scanned the print too but it meant very little to her.

"Regina, what am I meant to be looking for?" she asked.

"Just take a look at the houses. Leave all the details about the stables to me. If you see a house you really like, I can always rebuild the stable area to my standards anyway."

"We're really doing this?" Emma whispered, looking directly into brown, loving eyes.

"We're really doing this," Regina confirmed, squeezing Emma's knee where her hand still rested, before turning back to the papers in front of her.

Regina mumbled something indistinct and curled up tighter under her blankets. Emma smiled and placed another light kiss against Regina's neck. The brunette stirred again, her face scrunching up in confusion, her sleepy brain trying to register the sensation.

"Wake up birthday girl," Emma whispered hotly before teasing Regina's ear lobe with her tongue.

A small groan escaped as teeth nibbled on the flesh.

"Emma?" Regina asked, sleepy and disoriented as she gradually opened her eyes.

"Morning babe," Emma said softly, placing a kiss to Regina's lips this time as brown orbs opened further.

"What time is it?" Regina asked, glancing at Arendelle II who was still fast asleep.

"Just after six," Emma replied.

"You woke me up at six am on a Wednesday?" Regina grumbled, shuffling backwards in her bed and gesturing for the blonde to slip under her covers too. "Why?"

"Because," Emma said as she eagerly lay down and cuddled up to the sleepy woman beside her, "I don't want to waste a single second of your birthday."

"My birthday?" Regina repeated, slowly. "Shit, I forgot."

"You really don't celebrate your birthday do you," Emma remarked.

"No, I told you," Regina said, frowning slightly.

"I wanted to make this year special. I hoped, hope, I can make it a good memory instead of a bad one," Emma explained, tightening her arms around Regina and pulling the brunette against her.

"You're sweet Emma," Regina sighed, leaning forwards to kiss her girlfriend. "But can we start the celebrations with another hour or so of sleep?"

"Sure, I'm sorry for waking you," Emma said dejectedly, loosening her hold and starting to sit up.

"Erm, I didn't say you have to leave," Regina replied, reaching up to pull Emma back down.

"You sure?" the blonde asked, glancing at the still sleeping bunkmate.

"What's she going to do?" Regina said. "I get out of here in less than two weeks."

"Don't remind me," Emma said, nestling into Regina's side, her pregnant belly preventing her from getting as close as she would like.

"Sorry," Regina murmured, resting her cheek against the top of Emma's head as she closed her eyes once more.

"Where's Emma?" Regina asked as she walked into the blonde's bunk after dinner later that day.

"She'll be here in a minute," replied Red who was sitting on her bed alongside Snow and French. Boyd was sitting on Emma's bed and after a moment's hesitation, Regina sat beside her.

"What's she got planned?" she asked, as she waited for her girlfriend.

"We're sworn to secrecy," Boyd said firmly.

"Happy birthday by the way Regina," Snow said.

"Thanks," the brunette replied. "Did Emma say how long-"

"Happy birthday to you." Regina's head whipped towards the archway as the sound of singing reached her ears. In entrance to the bunk stood Emma, smiling widely and carrying a huge cake, topped with lit candles. Regina's jaw dropped.

"Happy birthday to you." The other women had joined in too. "Happy birthday dear Regina. Happy birthday to you."

As she was singing, Emma moved to stand in front of the awestruck brunette, the candlelight flickering across her face. The blonde thought Regina had never looked more beautiful.

"Happy birthday," she said. "Make a wish."

Regina eyed the proffered cake thoughtfully and after a moment's hesitation she closed her eyes and blew out the candles.

The women in the bunk clapped and cheered as Emma placed the cake on her cabinet and returned to kiss Regina soundly on the mouth. The brunette's hands snaked around Emma's neck, pulling her closer as she deepened the kiss.

"Alright, get a room!" Red teased after a few moments.

Emma pulled back, turning to glare at her bunkmate before settling beside Regina.

"Happy birthday," said Boyd with French and Red mimicking the expression moments later.

"Cake?" Emma asked, pulling a plastic knife, several forks and some plates from inside her cabinet.

Regina grinned broadly as she stood to cut everyone a slice.

"This is amazing!" the brunette moaned as she tasted the cake.

"Thanks," Emma replied.

"Did you make it?" Regina asked, surprised.

"Yeah," the blonde nodded.

"So that's why I was left alone all afternoon?" Boyd grumbled. "You were making a cake for your girlfriend?"

"A cake you're now enjoying," Emma pointed out and Boyd nodded in acceptance of this fact.

"Thank you, Emma," Regina said, leaning to place a soft kiss on Emma's lips. "This is the best birthday I've had in years.

"Do I smell smoke inmates?" came a voice from the door. All six women looked up suddenly to see Officer Nolan stood in the doorway, hands on his hips and a frown on his face.

"I can explain-," Emma began but Snow stood up and walked quickly to the officer.

"It was my idea," Snow said. "I got the candles. I'm sorry Officer Nolan."

A curious expression passed over the man's face before he stepped back. "Please come with me Blanchard."

Snow nodded and slipped out into the corridor.

"What did she do that for?" Regina asked.

Red smirked into her cake as she took another mouthful. "She'll be ok."

Emma raised an eyebrow. "Is there sometime I don't know?" she asked.

Red paused before replying. "Let's just say Snow has a way of making problems with Nolan disappear." French snorted at the reply and both Emma and Regina looked at each other in confusion but decided not to press further.

"That was delicious Emma, thank you," Regina said as she put her plate down and dabbed her lips with a napkin.

"You ready for your present?" the blonde asked.

Regina nodded, an expression that could only be described as lovestruck on her face.

Emma smiled and glanced at French who dug around in her pocket before pulling out the key to the library.

"Thanks," Emma grinned, standing and taking the key before turning and holding out her hand for Regina.

Once they were in the library with the door firmly locked behind them, Emma found herself pressed against the wall, Regina's lips hungry against her own.

"Hold up," she breathed, pushing Regina away slightly. "We'll get to that but first, I wanted to give you your main present."

Regina nodded and allowed herself to be led to the comfy chairs, chairs the couple had frequently used for sex over the past six weeks. Emma sat down in one, Regina the other, and the blonde slipped her hand into her pocket, pulling out a small jewellery box.

"What's this?" the brunette asked as Emma placed the box on the table and slid it over to Regina.

"Open it and find out," Emma said.

Taking a deep breath, Regina prised the box open and looked inside. She gasped as she saw the pendent lying against the plush red velvet. A simple silver swan embedded in a circular disc.

Emma held her breath as she waited for her girlfriend to meet her gaze. When Regina looked up, her eyes glistened with unshed tears.

"It's beautiful, Emma. Thank you," Regina said as she ran her fingertips over the metal.

"You like it?" Emma asked.

"I love it. I love you," Regina added as she lifted the necklace from the box.

"Let me," Emma said as she stood and moved behind the brunette to fasten the clasp. Circling back around, she smiled as she saw the swan resting against her girlfriend's chest. "Now you won't forget about me when you leave."

Regina tutted and stood up too, snaking her arms around Emma's waist. "I could never forget you, Emma," Regina murmured, her breath tickling Emma's lips.

"Good," the blonde replied. "And I hope you'll never forget what's about to happen."

Regina raised her eyebrow as Emma backed her into the chair once more before straddling her lap and melding their lips together.


	39. Goodbye Regina

July

"How are you feeling about tomorrow?" Doctor Fisher asked as she finished checking Regina's scars and moved to sit in her chair, taking notes as the brunette pulled her top back on and slid off the examination table.

"I'm ok," Regina said as she sat down next to the desk. "It's been a long time coming. I can hardly believe the day is finally here."

"Well I'm sure you'll be fine," Fisher assured. "Your scars all look completely normal. They've healed well and your movement appears unimpaired by them. Any residual pain?"

"No, that stopped a few weeks ago. I barely notice them now. Except when I catch sight of them in the shower and it all comes back to me."

"It takes time," Fisher advised. "But it will get better. The scars will fade, along with the memories and soon they'll just be another part of you."

"Those memories will never fade," Regina said darkly. Images of Emma's face, pale, panicked, crying flashed into her mind without warning. The brunette shivered involuntarily.

"Has Booth put you in touch with a counsellor for when you get out?" Fisher asked.

"Yes," Regina nodded. "The state will even pay because the trauma was experienced in prison."

"Good," the doctor smiled. "Then I am confident you'll get all the help you need."

"Thanks Doc," Regina smiled. "Thanks for everything." She stood to leave, holding out her hand to shake the blonde's.

"You're welcome Miss Mills," Fisher smiled, taking Regina's hand and moving to open the door. "Good luck."

"How are you feeling about tomorrow?" Booth asked.

"Why does everyone keep asking me that?" Regina asked as she took the seat across from the counsellor.

"Because it's a big deal," Booth replied. "You've been inside for three years Mills and tomorrow you'll be a free woman again."

"I was free for 22 years before I was inside. I'm sure I'll remember how the world works."

"There'll be an adjustment period," the man advised. "It will take some time to get used to life outside FCI."

"I don't have time to get used to it," Regina replied. "I have to make sure I can prove to that family court judge I'm capable of taking care of a baby in less than three weeks."

The date for the temporary guardianship hearing had been set a few days prior and Regina, Emma and Booth had met several times to discuss their strategy for ensuring the judge ruled in their favour.

"You'll be just fine, Mills. We have a plan in place for you to follow. You have the number of that therapist I've suggested you call. And you have Emma."

"I know, I know," Regina sighed, flopping back into her chair. "I guess it's all a little daunting. And confusing."

"Confusing how?"

"I've been waiting for this day for three years. Counting down my sentence like every other inmate in here. And now I've got less than 24 hours before I'm released … I'm not sure I want to leave."

"It's natural to be wary of change. You've been institutionalised. You've been completely dependent on the prison service and your life has been structured, regimented and controlled for three years. As of tomorrow, that entire system falls away and you're left with nothing. It takes some time to readjust to how you lived before."

"I'm not going back to my old life," Regina remarked.

"Of course not," Booth smiled. "But you'll have to find a place to live. You'll have to find food, secure work, socialise. You'll have your privacy back but you may also feel very alone. In prison, there is no judgement. Everyone inside has made mistakes but on the outside, you're going to be stigmatised for your criminal record and you may find in hard initially to form friendships. There's nothing you can do about society's reaction to convicts except accept it and move on."

"I won't be looking to make friends," Regina said. "All I care about is making sure I have a stable, safe home in which I can raise Emma's son and welcome her into in January."

"Everybody needs friends Regina," Booth advised softly.

"Perhaps," Regina shrugged. "But for now, all I need is to get custody of Shrimp."

"Ok. Well you know you can call me any time before the hearing if you need anything."

"Yes thank you."

"Is there anything else you wanted to talk about or discuss before I let you go and enjoy your last evening here?"

"Just one thing," Regina said. "When I get out tomorrow, am I given any money?"

Booth nodded. "Yes, we give you whatever is left in your commissary and the state also provides $100 to get you started."

"My commissary money, can you have that transferred over to Emma's account?" Regina asked.

Booth smiled at the sentiment. "Of course, let me pull up the account details and I'll see what I can do. Are you sure you don't want any of it?" Booth asked.

"No, I'll be fine with $100."

Booth raised an eyebrow but said nothing. He didn't want to know what Regina had in place to fall back on but by the numerous visitations and phone calls to a real estate agent, the man had a pretty good idea. He just didn't want to ask where the money was coming from. Those two women had been through enough already without him meddling in their lives after FCI.

"Wow!" Booth remarked as the numbers loaded onto the screen. "You've got over $1,000 in your account. Impressive."

"I've been working in here for three years and I don't buy junk food," Regina said, shrugging.

Booth laughed and clicked a few buttons. "Ok so how about I transfer an exact $1,000 over to Miss Swan's account and then you can take the additional $31.54 on top of your $100 tomorrow."

"Sure, thanks."

A few more clicks and taps on the keyboard and Booth leaned back in his chair. "Done."

"Thank you," Regina said before pausing. "Thank you for everything Mr Booth. And thank you for looking after Emma. Thank you for being there for her. Please make sure she's not alone when, well, when it's time."

"I'll be there," Booth assured. "Emma had already asked me herself actually."

"I wish it could be me," the brunette mused.

"So does she," Booth nodded. "But I promise I'll be right beside her the entire time. She won't be alone and she'll know you're there in spirit."

"Hopefully I'll be waiting right outside the gates for her son. Our son," she amended.

"Good luck, Miss Mills," Booth said, getting to his feet and holding out his hand. Regina stood too, shook the extended hand and turned to leave her counsellor's office for the final time.

"It seemed only right," Emma shrugged as she pushed open the chapel door and stood back to let Regina through.

"How is it that we consider having sex in a chapel right?" Regina asked as she walked inside.

"We're criminals," Emma shrugged. "Do we have to justify how our fucked up minds work?"

Regina laughed as she allowed herself to be led to the far corner, away from the weak light filtering through the door.

"Wait here," Emma instructed, dropping Regina's hand and moving further into the gloom. After a few seconds there was a hiss and a small burst of light. The match flame flickered as Emma moved it through the air, lighting three small candles she had placed against the wall earlier. The light danced and flickered over the wall, casting soft shadows over the corner. Regina noticed there was a blanket and two pillows lying beside the candles and she smiled as Emma settled herself down on one side, patted the other and waited for Regina to join her.

"I wanted our last time together to be special," Emma whispered as she lay down on her side, one arm cupping her increasingly large belly.

Regina kissed the blonde softly on the lips, her hand on her cheek as she ran her thumb over the smooth skin.

"This isn't our last time," Regina husked. "We're just taking a brief interlude."

"Six months," Emma grumbled.

"Five and a half," Regina amended.

"Still too long," Emma replied. "Five and a half months without being able to see you, touch you, kiss you whenever I like. I'm going to miss you so much."

"And I you," Regina assured, placing soft kisses on Emma's lips. "But you will see me. At visitation, at court, and I'll bring our son to see you every weekend until you get out."

"I know, I know," Emma said. "But it's not the same."

"No," Regina conceded. "But we've not got a choice. We'll get through this Emma. I believe in us."

"Me too," Emma said, laying her forehead against Regina's.

"Enough talking," the brunette said, reaching down to stroke Emma's rounded stomach before taking hold of her top and beginning to pull it upwards.

They made love that evening. Slow kisses, gentle caresses, the tender touch of fingertips mapping every inch of skin, memorising every detail to remember during their time apart. Scars were worshiped reverently and soft lips peppered expressions of love over Emma's pregnant abdomen. Tongues laved slick, sweet tasting flesh, drawing soft cries of ecstasy as each woman peaked. Their arms encircled each other afterwards, holding tight as their breathing returned to normal, their heartbeats slowed but continued to pound strongly beneath their ribcages, the reverberations felt throughout both women as a symbol of their love and life.

"Tomorrow," Emma whispered after a while. "Be careful."

"I'll be fine Emma," Regina assured, stroking the tangled blonde hair, her cheek resting against her girlfriend's.

"I know," Emma sighed. "I just hate the thought of you out there all alone."

"I don't like it either," Regina admitted. "But I have a meeting on Wednesday with Hopper and hopefully the farmhouse will be as perfect as it was in the pictures. If all goes well, I'll be in our new home in less than two weeks."

"I can't believe I'm going to have a home when I get out of here," Emma murmured.

"More than that Emma. You're going to have a family."

Regina took one last look around her bunk, nodded at Arendelle II (who seemed rather pleased to see the back of her roommate) and headed down the corridor with her cardboard box of possessions.

"Presents for you!" she announced as she walked into Emma's bunk. Red and Snow jumped up eagerly and at Emma's nod, started rifling through the box Regina had placed on the cabinet and fighting over the left over makeup.

Regina rolled her eyes at the sight and smiled softly at Emma who was sat on her bed looking forlorn.

"Hey, you ok?" she asked, sitting beside her girlfriend.

"It's selfish but I don't want you to leave," Emma shrugged.

"I don't want to leave you, if that's any consolation," Regina replied, placing an arm around Emma's waist. "But I have to. For our son's sake."

Emma nodded and sighed. She had known for a long time this day was coming but it didn't make saying goodbye any easier.

"Walk me out?" Regina asked, standing and holding out her hand to pull the heavily pregnant woman to her feet.

Just as they reached the corridor, a voice called out and Regina turned around.

"Regina, wait a moment," Red said, hurrying up after the brunette. A slight glance at Emma made the blonde nod at her bunkmate and walk a little way down the corridor to give the two women a moment alone."

"Mills, I just wanted to say thank you."

"Thank you?" Regina asked, surprised. She and Red's relationship had been tumultuous to say the least.

"Yeah," Red nodded. "Thanks to you, I'm four months clean now. I wouldn't be if you'd continued dealing."

"You're thanking me for stopping smuggling drugs into prison and selling them at massively inflated prices to dependent, vulnerable women?"

"Pretty much," Red replied with a shrug.

"No one replaced me?" Regina asked, slightly surprised.

"There's been some low quality product filtering through here and there but no steady supply since you shut down."

"Amateurs," Regina scoffed. Red laughed.

"Anyway, yeah, I just wanted to say thank you."

"You don't have to say thank you," Regina sighed. "It was wrong of me to be dealing in here in the first place. If anything, I should be apologising to you."

"Friends?" Red offered, holding out a hand to shake Regina's.

"Friends," Regina confirmed, shaking the taller woman's hand. "Bye, Red. See you around. And look after Emma for me."

"Of course. Good luck."

"What was that about?" Emma asked as Regina rejoined her.

"I'm making friends in here."

"Excellent timing," Emma laughed.

The two women walked hand in hand to the release area. Booth was stood there, along with Nolan and Hunter. Emma and Regina stopped a little way down the corridor.

"I guess this is it," Emma said, turning to face Regina.

"I guess," Regina nodded.

"I'll see you on Saturday?" Emma asked.

"I wouldn't miss it for the world," Regina assured her, brushing some stray hairs away from Emma's face.

Emma hesitated before throwing her arms around Regina and pulling the brunette into a tight hug.

"I love you," she whispered, tears rolling down her cheeks as she nuzzled into Regina's neck, inhaling her unique scent and squeezing tighter.

"I love you too," Regina promised, her own eyes glassy as she buried her face in Emma's soft blonde hair.

After a minute or so, they broke apart. Wiping the tears from each other's cheeks, they tried to smile reassuringly at one another but neither were believable.

"Good luck," Emma said, moving to place a chaste kiss on Regina's lips.

The kiss was short, too short. But they had the memory of the previous evening.

"I'll see you really soon," Regina assured as she ran her hand gently over Emma's belly before she stepped backwards, paused and then turned to walk towards the three men waiting for her.

"I love you," Emma called after the brunette.

Turning around once more, Regina smiled. "I love you."

The gate slid closed, bars separating the two women before Regina was led out of sight. Emma slumped against the wall and slid to the floor, tears rolling down her face again as she buried her head in her hands.


	40. Radio Silence

July

Regina took a deep breath. She knew it was stupid. She knew the air outside the prison was exactly the same as that in the yard but somehow it smelt different. It smelt like freedom.

With two crisp 50 dollar bills tucked into the pocket of her jeans along with her $31.54, she stepped off the front porch of the prison entrance and started to walk.

August

"Did you get your visitation slip?" Emma asked Red as her bunkmate reappeared after breakfast on Saturday morning.

"Yep, just off to see Granny now," Red nodded. "Why?"

"I didn't get one confirming Regina was coming."

Red frowned. "Maybe there's been an admin error. You know what this place is like."

"Yeah probably. Mind if I come with you to check?"

"Not at all. I'll even introduce you to Granny if they allow it. It's the last time she's coming before I get out."

"Shit, I forgot you were leaving me too," Emma said as the two women set off down the corridor together.

"Yep, three more weeks and I'm outta here!" Red exclaimed, punching the air.

"Has Granny agreed to give you your waitressing gig back yet?" Emma asked.

"I'm wearing her down," Red said with a sideways grin at the blonde. "It helps that one of her staff was caught stealing from the till last week. She needs someone she can trust."

"And she believes you're clean?" Emma asked.

"She has to," Red said. "You remember that urine test everyone took last week? I persuaded Glass to give me a copy of my results. Black and white proof. She can't deny lab results."

"Congratulations," Emma smiled. "Pretty sure my results would be all squiffy what with all the prenatal vitamins Fisher is insisting I take."

"Vitamin C and heroin are a little different Swanny," Red laughed as they reached the visitation area and the brunette pushed the door open, standing back so Emma could go first.

"Luccas, here you go," said Nolan, handing over the visitor badge and signalling for the brunette to continue through. "And how can I help you Swan?"

"I'm here to see Regina, I mean, Mills," Emma said, fidgeting nervously as the CO glanced down the list in front of him.

"Sorry, she's not on the list."

"Are you sure?" Emma asked.

"Well I can read so yes, I'm sure. Seems like your girlfriend has flaked already."

Emma hesitated for a split second before she turned and left the room, willing herself not to cry as she hurried away from the visitation area. Several of the inmates still making their way up the corridor looked at her curiously as she rushed passed them but no one spoke.

As soon as she was in her bunk, Emma lay on her bed, her hands clasped over her stomach as the tears finally fell from her eyes. She didn't move until Red asked her to join herself and French for dinner that evening, and it was only at the mention of Shrimp which persuaded the blonde she needed to eat.

Emma slouched into Booth's office after lunch on Monday and sat down in the chair.

"Are you ok?" Booth asked, concerned immediately at the dark circles under Emma's eyes.

"Regina didn't show up to visitation on Saturday." Her voice sounded strained, tired.

"Had you arranged for her to come?" Booth asked.

"Yes," Emma nodded. "She said she wouldn't miss it for the world just before she left last week."

"Have you called her?" Booth suggested.

"She didn't have a cell number to give me when she left," Emma explained. "She said she'd call you and tell you the number so you could give it to me."

"I've not heard from her. Sorry Swan," Booth said kindly.

"What am I going to do?" Emma asked. "The hearing is in three weeks and she's disappeared. I'm going to have to give up my baby aren't I!" Fresh tears ran down Emma's cheeks.

"Now we don't need to jump to any conclusions," Booth assured. "I'm sure Mills was just very busy. She had only been out for three days. Perhaps she felt it was too soon to come back here."

"Then why didn't she phone you so you could tell me that?" Emma asked, angrily. "Why did she just leave me waiting for her like some pathetic love struck kid? Why didn't she come and see me?" Emma cried harder as she spoke, the words making her fears even more real. Maybe Regina didn't want to be with her any more. Maybe their relationship was, as Cora had said, something for Regina to do whilst waiting to get out. Maybe Regina had never wanted to look after Emma's baby. Maybe Regina had never loved her, had never loved them.

Booth walked around his desk and crouched down in front of the sobbing blonde.

"Emma," he said gently. "I'm sure she had her reasons. I'm sure she will explain those reasons to you as soon as she can."

"She promised," Emma choked. "She promised to come and see me."

"And she will," Booth soothed. "I saw what you two had. That was real, Emma. It is real. Don't start thinking she didn't love you, that she didn't want to look after Shrimp. Regina will call me when she can and as soon as I have that number, I'll deliver it to you myself."

"Really?" Emma sniffed, wiping her eyes with a handkerchief Booth had offered her.

"Really," he assured.

"Still not heard from her?" Boyd asked as she and Emma headed for lunch two days later.

"No," Emma muttered. Word had got around that Regina hadn't shown up for visitation but most of the inmates knew better than to pry. She knew Boyd was worried about her, alongside Snow, French and Red, but Emma also knew she wouldn't feel any better until she heard the sultry tones of her girlfriend's voice.

"She'll call," Boyd said with a false smile.

Emma nodded mutely, quickening her pace slightly and heading into the dining hall.

"Seriously, how does Athena manage to screw up mashed potato?" Red complained a few minutes later, ladling the sloppy grey mass up and letting it splatter back down onto her plate.

"Babe, stop playing with your food," French scolded.

"This can hardly be considered food," Red argued.

"True," Boyd jumped in. "What do you think Swan?"

The blonde looked up at the sound of her name. She appreciated her friends trying to include her in the conversation and act like everything was normal but all she really wanted to do was wallow in her own misery.

"I agree with Red," Emma said with a small smile. "Definitely not food."

She pushed her own plate away at that point, the mashed potato congealing in the corner but her vegetables eaten along with the overcooked chicken breast.

"I'm going to head back to work Boyd," Emma said, easing her pregnant stomach out from under the table as she stood.

"Already?" Boyd asked, glancing at the clock and seeing they had another twenty minutes left of their break.

Emma nodded and left. Her friends glanced at each other.

"Should we try talking to her about Mills?" Red asked.

"I already did," Boyd said. "This morning. She gave me a one word answer and walked away."

"Poor thing," Snow mused, watching as the mass of blonde hair disappeared around the corner. "She was so in love with Mills."

"She still is," French noted. "That's the problem."

"But Mills seemed equally besotted, didn't she? You can't tell me that was all an act," Snow pointed out.

"We should never have trusted her," Red said darkly. "She was a drug dealer, she hit Emma, she pushed her away in that fight and caused her spleen to rupture. She even put her in the line of fire from her psycho mother and half-sister. I'm surprised she didn't let Emma get stabbed that day."

"But she didn't," French pointed out. "She saved Emma, and the baby. Doesn't that tell you something?"

"And Emma hasn't heard from her since the moment she was free again. Doesn't that tell you something else?" Red countered.

"It's only been a week," French argued.

"Why are you defending her?" Red asked. "Can't you see how she's upsetting our friend?"

"I just-,"

"Ladies, have you seen Miss Swan?" Booth asked as he walked up to their table.

"She went back to work already," Boyd said. "Why do you want her?"

"I've got a little something that might bring a smile to her face," Booth grinned, waving a slip of paper.

"Mills called?" Red asked, her voice scathing. When Booth nodded, Red scoffed. "About time."

"Well how about we all hold off on the judgement until she's had a chance to explain to Swan what happened?" Booth suggested, touched at the protective instincts of the blonde's friends but also aware that Mills had a perfectly valid excuse.

"Whatever," Red said, returning to playing with her mashed potato.

"Well I'll head down to laundry then. Enjoy your lunch ladies," Booth said as he headed out of the dining hall.

"Swan?" the man called as he entered the room minutes later.

"Over here," came a quiet voice from the far corner.

Booth made his way over until he found Emma sitting crosslegged on a table, trying to fold a face cloth into an origami lily flower.

"Very pretty," Booth noted.

"Hey Booth," Emma said, without looking up.

"I've got something for you, Swan," Booth said, moving to stand in front of the inmate.

The blonde's head snapped up at once, her face filled with hope. "Is it-?"

"Yep," Booth smiled, fishing the small piece of paper out of his pocket and handing it over. "She called about fifteen minutes ago. Apologising profusely to me but I advised her to save those for you."

"You told her I was mad?" Emma asked, stroking the digits on the paper reverently.

"I told her you were … upset," Booth said.

"I, I don't want to be rude," Emma hesitated, "but can I …,"

Booth smiled. "Of course," he said, holding out a hand to help Emma off the table. His smile widened as the blonde walked as quickly as her pregnant belly would allow from the room, Regina's mobile number clasped in her hand.

The automated message had never felt longer as Emma waited for it to end and Regina to accept the charges. Finally, the connection tone sounded.

"Emma?" came Regina's voice. "I'm so sorry!"

The blonde let out a sigh of relief. "What happened?" Emma asked, wary of getting too excited at just the sound of her girlfriend's voice.

"I'm so sorry," Regina repeated. "I went to view that house you loved on Friday and the car broke down. There was no cell reception there and the landlines in the house weren't connected. I had to wait for the estate agent to come back with help and then it ended up taking all night to fix the car. I had to sleep in the damn thing. I didn't get back to Tallahassee until Saturday afternoon and by then I knew visitation was over."

"Why didn't you call Booth?" Emma asked.

There was a pause. "I kinda lost his number," Regina admitted. "I know that sounds like a crappy excuse but it's the truth. I found it just now when I was cleaning out my new and apparently unreliable car and called it straight away."

"I thought-," Emma couldn't finish the sentence.

"You thought I'd just disappeared? You thought I didn't want you any more?" Regina asked.

"Yes," said Emma in a tiny voice.

"Honey, nothing could be further from the truth," Regina assured her. "I love you so much and I'm so sorry you've spent an entire week doubting that. It's my fault. I shouldn't have lost the card. I should have bought a better car. I'm so completely sorry. Will you forgive me?"

"Of course," Emma said, smiling weakly at the earnest tone to Regina's voice. It was impossible to stay mad at the brunette for long, especially when it was apparent just how torn up she was at having let Emma down. "I just got scared when you didn't show up last weekend."

"I wanted to be there more than anything," Regina promised.

"I wanted to see you more than anything," Emma said. "Will you come this weekend?"

"Absolutely," Regina said.

"Great," Emma smiled wider. "How is it out there in the world. Are you doing ok?"

"I'm fine," Regina assured. "The house I went to see was nice but I have a few more viewings lined up later this week. The lack of cell phone reception definitely put me off."

"Agreed," Emma nodded.

"And how are you? Are you looking after yourself and Shrimp?" Regina asked.

"It's been a tough few days," Emma admitted. "But Red and the gang have been great. They practically force feed my so don't worry, our little boy is still growing strong."

"Did you have your ultrasound on Friday?" Regina asked.

"Yep," Emma confirmed.

"Did you get a photo for me?" Regina asked.

"Of course," Emma grinned. "I had it in my pocket when I went to visitation last weekend."

"Urgh, please don't make me feel worse than I already do," Regina whined.

"Sorry," Emma apologised. "I'll bring it on Saturday anyway."

"Great I can't wait to see him. Does he still look like shellfish?"

"Not so much but the name is sticking, sorry."

Regina laughed. "It's ok, I've warmed to it."

"So tell me everything. What was the first thing you ate on the outside? What was the first thing you drank? Have you been to the movies yet? And what crappy car did you buy? You're a millionaire remember, you don't need to skimp."

Regina laughed before beginning to answer Emma's questions. The blonde leaned back against the wall, a tranquil smile on her lips and a hand resting on her stomach.


	41. Signing Contracts

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A/N: I wasn't intending to write the court scene but I didn't really see any way around it. Plus I have done some work in courts (the English system admittedly) in the past but I have also watch at lot of Law & Order so I hope it's a pretty accurate representation. I hope you're all happy with the results!

Emma had never willed time to go as fast as she did that Saturday morning. She wolfed down her breakfast, pointedly ignoring the knowing looks Red and Snow were shooting her. She didn't care how desperate it looked. All she wanted was to see Regina again. As soon as her last mouthful of toast was swallowed, she got to her feet and headed straight to visitation, the slip bearing Regina's name held tightly in her hand.

She was the first to arrive, before even the guard on duty so she sat with her back against the wall, waiting. It wasn't long before Fa arrived, giving Emma a kind smile as she unlocked the booth and allowed the blonde to sit in one of the spare chairs as she waited for the visitors to be granted access on the other side.

Emma stared through the glass as people began to filter into the room. Her heart was pounding in her chest just anticipating a glimpse of the brunette. As soon as she saw her, Emma jumped to her feet, a wide smile on her face as Regina's familiar eyes found hers. Her girlfriend gave a little wave and a wink as she walked to one of the tables closest to the door from which Emma would enter.

The blonde couldn't tear her eyes away from Regina. The new Regina. The brunette had cut her hair, the stylish bob framing her stunning face perfectly. She wore a silky teal blouse which rippled as she moved and fitted black pants, hugging her curves and accentuating her figure. Regina also seemed taller and as Emma's eye line roved down toned legs, she realised that was due to the four inch black heels the woman was wearing.

Fa nudged a transfixed Emma gently out the way so she could get to the door. As soon as the lock clicked open, the blonde rushed through and threw herself into Regina's waiting arms. Fa couldn't bring herself to scold the two women for prolonged contact and instead stepped out the way of other inmates now arriving.

"I missed you so much!" Emma gasped as she inhaled deeply, Regina's scent calming her immediately.

"I missed you too," Regina said. "Emma, I'm so sorry about last week." The brunette pulled away and placed a gentle kiss to pale lips before guiding the heavily pregnant woman into a chair and taking the one opposite.

"Don't worry about it," Emma said as she settled herself more comfortably. "You're here now and that's all that matters."

"I still feel terrible about it."

"Blame the car dealership who sold you that crappy Land Rover. What were you even thinking buying something second hand when you have squillions of dollars."

"Firstly, I don't have squillions of dollars, not least because squillions isn't a word."

"It should be," Emma pointed out.

"And secondly," Regina continued. "I don't see the point in buying a brand new vehicle that is going to get trashed in seconds at the stables."

"Because it will get you from A to B without causing your girlfriend to go out of her mind with worry?" Emma suggested.

"I'm so sorry," Regina repeated.

"I know," Emma assured. "I'm just making a point."

"The point being?"

"Buy a new car!"

Regina laughed and reached across the table to grasp Emma's hands.

"So how have you been in here?" Regina asked. "You look good. Bigger."

"Fatter," Emma corrected. "And I'm good thanks. Shrimp has finally stopped his 2am kicking ritual. And you'll be very pleased to hear Fisher told me at my ultrasound I shouldn't be lifting any more. I only have two weeks left of work too."

"Good," Regina smiled. "You need to take care of yourself now honey. And speaking of that ultrasound …,"

Emma smiled, fished the photo out of her pocket and handed it over. Regina took it and gazed down reverently into the grainy image. Emma watched, wondering how she had ever questioned this woman's commitment to her and their baby.

"He's beautiful," Regina whispered.

"He looks less like shellfish," Emma conceded, "but I'm not sure we can describe him as beautiful yet."

"He's got your genes, of course he's beautiful," Regina said, raising her moist eyes to meet Emma's green ones.

"So are you all prepared for court?" Emma asked as Regina tucked the photo into her new Prada handbag.

"I think so," Regina smiled. "I spent far too much money on a killer suit. My new hair is meant to make me look as little like a drug dealer as possible …,"

"You look gorgeous," Emma butted in. "I love your hair like that. It's super sexy."

"Thank you," Regina said, a slight blush on her cheeks. "I do quite like it. Makes me look vaguely important."

"You are important. To me."

Regina smiled. "Oh and I have some other news," she said, reaching into her bag to pull out some papers.

"Yes?"

"Remember that barn conversion property right up by the border of Georgia, just inside Osceola National Forest?" Regina asked, rifling through to find what she was looking for.

"The one with the river running along the bottom of the garden and the cute little town a few miles away?"

"That's the one," Regina nodded, sliding a form that looked to Emma's inexperienced eyes like some sort of contract. "It's ours."

"What?"

"We completed yesterday," Regina smiled. "It's perfect Emma! The house is simply gorgeous. Four bedrooms, one which would be perfect for Shrimp's nursery. The kitchen is brand new with a stylish worktop island in the middle of it. I know you don't cook much but I'm sure you'll enjoy sitting there and watching me. Oh and the living room has this homely vibe. There's an old fireplace and I know exactly where we're going to put the Christmas tree. The master bedroom is perfect too. I've ordered us a king sized bed, it has an ensuite and a walk in wardrobe. I may have already purchased enough clothes to fill half of it, sorry," Regina finished, pausing to take a breath.

Emma just grinned stupidly at the woman before her, entranced by the happiness etched over Regina's face as she spoke about their future home.

"It sounds perfect," Emma smiled. "It's really ours?" she asked.

"Both our names are on the deed," Regina said, pointing to the bottom of the document. "You have a home, Emma. We have a home."

Emma stood up, moving to embrace Regina who met her halfway. Their smiles didn't even fade when Fa eventually decided the couple had been granted enough leniency and ordered them to move apart.

"I can't believe this is all happening!" Emma said as she sat back down.

"It is though. We're finally going to be doing something right with our lives."

"Tell me about the stables," Emma said. "You've told me about the house but what about your business?"

"They need some work," Regina admitted. "Most of the loose boxes need to be completely replaced but the paddocks are all securely fenced and there's more than enough space for at least twenty horses."

"Twenty?" Emma repeated, a little shocked at the number.

Regina laughed. "Don't worry, they won't all be ours. We'll have a livery area where people can keep their own horses and then I can train alongside the owners in the ménage."

"I don't really know what any of that means but ok," Emma said, still grinning widely.

"You'll learn," Regina said. "If you want to, of course."

"I do want to," Emma assured. "I want to understand your passion and I want to be a part of that lifestyle."

"I want that too," Regina smiled. "Maybe Shrimp will grow to be a champion jockey."

"Maybe," Emma nodded. "Speaking of which, the trial is next Friday. Do we want to go over everything one more time?"

"Swan, they're ready for us," Booth said, shaking the blonde from her daydream as she sat waiting.

"Right," she breathed deeply, following her counsellor through the maze of corridors and into the courtroom.

Scanning the almost empty room, Emma's heart skipped when she saw Regina. Her girlfriend hadn't been lying when she said she'd bought a killer suit. Emma thought the brunette looked the definition of a reliable, responsible, caregiving woman. And gorgeous as hell. Emma wished the prison had allowed her to change out of her inmate uniform. She smiled widely when Regina looked up from her notes and their eyes met. At least the brunette didn't seem to mind the beige.

Emma stumbled a little as Booth steered her into her seat, unwilling to break eye contact to watch where her feet were going. She and Booth were sat together, at a right angle to the judge's currently vacant table whilst Regina sat opposite the judge with a mousy haired woman Emma didn't know sitting beside her.

"Who's that?" Emma asked Booth in a hushed whisper.

Before he could answer, the court clerk announced the arrival of the judge and Booth helped Emma to her feet. The blonde watched as a petite woman with her hair pinned back into a severe bun entered the room and sat pompously in the high backed chair. Emma thought her robes made her look a bit like a nun.

When they sat back down again, Emma noticed the unknown woman remained standing.

"Judge Blue. My name is Ava Zimmer and I am the representative from child services. I am here today to advise on the placement of the child due to be born to Miss Emma Swan, a current inmate at FCI, serving a sentence of eleven months for possession of stolen property. This is Miss Regina Mills, the woman to whom Miss Swan wishes to entrust her infant until her release early next year."

"Good morning, your honour," Regina said, standing up and nodding respectfully.

The judge cast an appraising eye over the brunette before turning her attention back to Zimmer.

"Details please," the judge prompted.

"Your honour," Regina began after Zimmer nodded for her to begin. "Before we get any further I would like to be honest about my past. I met Emma Swan when we were both incarcerated in FCI. I have just finished serving a three year sentence for dealing drugs. However, I was never a user and will never return to that world. Since my release I have secured a permanent home for myself and Miss Swan to raise our son. I am starting up my own business over the course of the next month and I am already decorating a room intended to be Shrimp's nursery."

"Shrimp?" the judge interrupted.

Emma hid a giggle behind her hand whilst Regina blushed bright red.

"My apologies your honour, that is the nickname we have given the baby until he is born and we name him properly."

Judge Blue nodded slowly. "Continue."

"As I was saying, I was released from FCI less than three weeks ago and I have already purchased a house with money left to me by my late father." Emma's eyes widened. She had always assumed the fortune came from Regina's drug dealing days. "This house is in excellent condition with a secure garden for the child to play in when he grows up. The future nursery is next door to the master bedroom with easy access to a bathroom. I have already, somewhat prematurely I am aware, purchased security gates to prevent a crawling toddler gaining access to places he shouldn't be. I want to-,"

"That's all well and good Miss Mills," Judge Blue interrupted. "But I am here to assess you as a person, not your house. I am aware that you are able to provide financial stability. But what about emotional stability, love, compassion, moral guidance. Right now you are simply asking me to sign over a baby to a rich criminal."

Regina gritted her teeth and took a deep breath before answering.

"I have made mistakes in the past, I know that. I am also rather young, Miss Swan too. But none of that takes away from our ability to provide a stable, loving home for this child. I want to raise this baby more than anything else in the world. I am meeting weekly with a counsellor to deal with any emotional problems stemming from an attack I was a victim of whilst in prison. I am working every day to become a better person. I know I don't deserve a child. The attack proved that. It left me without the ability to bear children myself. Maybe that was God's way of telling me I wasn't supposed to be a mother. But that doesn't mean I won't be a great one. I know what bad parenting is. I grew up with an abusive mother and I have promised myself I will never be like her. I will give this child all the love he could ever want. And I believe that, with Emma by my side, this child will live a happy, safe, content life."

"I've read about the attack, and I am sorry for your loss," Judge Blue said, looking through her notes but not sounding sorry at all. "Does your inability to have children of your own have any bearing on what you are doing here today."

"Not at all," Regina said, shaking her head. "I am here today for Emma and for her baby, not myself. Miss Swan wants to have this child and she wants to care for it. Unfortunately, due to actions taken by the baby's father resulting in Miss Swan's incarceration," Regina worked hard to keep the anger out of her voice, "she is unable to be the amazing mother I know she will be until January. I have offered to care for the child until she is released and will be able to take over the role she will sadly be unable to perform for the first four months of his life."

"And what of the baby's father?" Judge Blue asked. "Is he aware of the proceedings occurring today?"

Regina glanced at Emma. The blonde nodded slightly. "May I direct this question to Miss Swan? I think she would be best suited to answering this," Regina said.

Judge Blue nodded and turned for the first time to look at the woman whose child's fate she was ruling on.

Emma got to her feet, her pregnant belly in full view as it rose above the front of the bench.

"Good morning, your honour," Emma began in a shaky voice. "The father of this baby is no longer in the picture. I'm not exactly sure where he is but he was complicit in the crime for which I was convicted. Even if I knew where he was, I would not wish for him to have any contact with the child and I do not think he would want it either."

"Is there any way to check whether this man has been apprehended on the charges alluded to?" Judge Blue asked, directing her question to Booth.

"Yes your honour," Booth said, standing up beside Emma. "We have in fact already researched this matter and it turns out Mr Cassidy is serving a five year stretch near the Canadian border for related charges."

Emma and Regina both turned to stare at the man as the information tumbled from his lips.

"Why didn't you tell me that?" Emma asked in a hushed whisper.

"Not now," Booth muttered.

"I see," Judge Blue said. "Well that makes this slightly less complicated. And Miss Zimmer, have you had a chance to visit Miss Mills' delightful new residence for an assessment yet?"

"Yes, your honour," Zimmer said, standing once more. "I visited last week and Miss Mills is alarmingly well prepared for this infant's arrival. The house is comfortable and well equipped. I have also spoken to her parole officer. It has only been a few weeks but Miss Mills has yet to miss a meeting and all her spot checks for drugs and alcohol have come back clean, as they did throughout her stay at FCI. Despite the way this case appears on paper, it is the recommendation of myself and my office that Miss Mills be granted temporary custody."

Regina, Emma, and Booth breathed a collective sigh of relief.

Judge Blue looked momentarily at Zimmer before her gaze slid over to Regina. The brunette's heart was thumping in her chest but she tried to maintain her composure despite the beads of sweat dripping down her back. After a few seconds, Blue's eyes moved to Emma. She had sat back down as her ever-expanding stomach meant standing was uncomfortable now. Her hands were resting protectively over her bump. The blonde wasn't even aware the judge was looking at her, so transfixed was she by the new, confident, commanding, sexy, and completely beautiful version of her girlfriend who was stood before her.

"Very well," Judge Blue said after a few moments. "In that case, I shall grant Miss Swan's request to sign over temporary custody to Miss Mills on the condition that she continues to meet with her parole officer, stays clean, and accepts to having random on sight inspections of the family residents until January."

"Yes," Regina replied. "Of course! Anything. I promise you won't regret this."

"I hope not," Judge Blue said. "A baby is a new chance for you two. I expect you to make the most of it."

"We will," Regina said, with a quick glance to a positively beaming blonde. "Thank you."

"Thank you," Emma mimicked, realising she ought to say something.

"Good luck," Judge Blue replied before she got to her feet. Everyone else in the courtroom hastened to follow suit and remained standing until the judge had disappeared.

"Can I-?" Regina asked.

"Just for a moment," Booth nodded.

Within seconds the brunette was stood in from of Emma, her arms wrapped tightly around her girlfriend despite the front of the bench and Emma's stomach making the move awkward. Emma didn't care and hugged Regina back.

"We did it," she whispered. 'We're going to be a family."


	42. It's Time

September

"Knock knock."

Emma glanced up from the latest pregnancy book she was reading and grinned as she saw French stood in the archway.

"Hey, how are you?" Emma asked.

"I'm not too bad," French said with a little smile. Red had left FCI a week prior and her girlfriend had been down ever since. The blonde sympathised completely.

"Do you want to join me for lunch?" Emma asked, glancing at the alarm clock Red had left her and then over at the still vacant bunk.

"In a minute," French said. "I'm actually here for another reason."

"Oh yes?" Emma asked.

French nodded before ducking out of sight and returning seconds later with a box stacked high with possessions. "Hey roomie!"

Emma clambered to her feet, her eight month sized stomach making it a laborious effort. "You're moving into Red's old bed?"

French grinned. "I requested a transfer about a month ago. My bunkmate snores like crazy and I just got word this morning."

"Awesome!" Emma grinned, moving to help French with her things as the brunette dumped the box on her new bed. "Jeez you have a lot of books."

French laughed. "Occupational hazard."

"Well after we get you settled we can go and have a celebratory lunch. I'll get Snow and Boyd to join."

"Great. How was Regina at visitation this morning?" French asked as she began to unpack.

"Good, she showed me a load of photos of our new house."

"Urgh I'm so jealous!" French laughed. "Can I see?"

"Sure," Emma smiled, taking the photos from her cabinet and handing them over.

"Wow you two have got it made haven't you," French mused as she scanned the pictures of a large house, endless green fields and stable blocks, and various snapshots of different rooms, including a bedroom which looked like it could feature in any high end design magazine.

"Apart from the fact that I'm going to miss out on the first four months of my son's life and Regina and I only see each other once a week, yes."

"Emma, I'm sorry, I didn't mean that," French began.

"It's ok," Emma assured. "It's always difficult just after I've seen her, knowing I have to wait another seven days for the next time and … and with the end of my pregnancy drawing closer, I wish she was here to look after me. I'm getting a little nervous."

"I understand," French said. "But you have me, Snow and Boyd. We're all here for you, whatever you need."

"Thanks," Emma smiled. "I appreciate that."

Regina closed the door of her rental car and took a deep breath. Slowly, she raised her eyes to look upon her childhood home for the first time in seven years.

It was exactly as she remembered it. The smart redbrick walls, the slick black door, the immaculate garden in the front with the apple tree she had nursed all her life bowing gracefully over the picket fence. Regina shivered and it had nothing to do with the autumnal winds Maine was experiencing. Steeling herself, she walked up to the door and slipped her key into the lock.

Despite having a four hour plane journey to prepare herself for coming back, Regina wasn't prepared for the assault of feelings and emotions that washed over her body as she stepped across the threshold. The entrance hall held the familiar clutter of muddy boots, endless coats and jackets hanging beside the door and the floor dappled with light from an old stained glass window her father had found at an auction and fitted into the kitchen beyond. Pausing for a moment to look around, Regina smiled slightly at being in her home and headed further into the house.

Five hours later, Regina looked around her old bedroom with an air of satisfaction. Seven boxes were neatly stacked against the wall while the shelves, walls, and closets were bare. Any larger items she wanted to take were labeled: she had always been particularly fond of a dressing table that had collected dust in the guest bedroom. Allowing herself a final walkthrough of the deserted house, Regina hesitated before she turned the handle leading to her parents' bedroom.

The familial, cloying scent of her mother's perfume still lingered in the air even though it had been over three months since Cora Mills was arrested and charged. Glancing around, Regina noted that none of her father's possessions remained. Frowning slightly, she moved across the room to the old chest at the foot of the bed. Prying the stiff lock open, she smiled as she saw stacks of her father's horse training books exactly where he had left them, along with a few of his cufflink boxes and a pile of framed photographs.

Picking up one of the frames, Regina recognised herself and Rocinante immediately. It was an image from one of their first competitions together and the photographer had captured the immaculate take off both horse and rider had executed over the final fence. Regina smiled at the memory before placing the photo on the bed and picking up a set of cufflinks. She knew her mother had thrown her father's clothes and most of his possessions away but the cufflinks had somehow escaped. Probably because many of them were unique, hand designed and very expensive. Regina traced the outline of a horse etched into a platinum setting before scooping up the rest and placing them on top of the photo. After a moment's hesitation, she left the room to find a spare cardboard box and loaded up the entire contents of the chest.

It took her little less than half an hour to stack the eight boxes just inside the front door. Her childhood, the first eighteen years of her life, compressed into a few feet of trinkets and possessions. Regina wiped her brow and went to the kitchen to make herself a cup of tea while she waited for the removal van.

"You did what?" Emma asked, the following Saturday at visitation.

"I had to, Emma," Regina explained. "The real estate agent contacted me on Monday saying if I didn't come and take what I wanted, everything in the house would be sold, dumped or donated to charity."

"So you returned, alone, to the place where your mother abused you for eighteen years?" Emma asked.

"And where my father loved me more than anything in the world," Regina pointed out.

The blonde sighed. "You're right, I'm sorry," Emma nodded. "I just wish you hadn't had to go alone."

"Me too," Regina said. "But I didn't have a choice. There were things there I wanted to keep. And now I have them, the house sale is complete, and I don't have to ever go to Maine again."

"Good," Emma said. "Why did your mother sell up anyway?" she asked.

"She didn't," Regina replied. "I did."

"You sold your mother's house?" Emma asked.

"My house," she corrected. "The house was left to me by my father in his will and as soon as my mother was convicted of attempted murder and sentenced to twenty five years, everything was transferred to me. The money too."

"So when you said in court the other week that our house was bought with inheritance from your father, you weren't lying?"

"No, why would you think that?" Regina asked, frowning.

"I'm sorry," Emma said, hastily. "I just assumed the money was from, well from when you were dealing."

Regina shook her head. "I was going to use it," she admitted. "But then when my mother's sentence was decided, I didn't need to any more. Plus that money is tainted. I didn't want our family home to be associated with the mistakes of my past."

"So what has happened to that money?" Emma asked.

"Nothing, yet," Regina said. "It's just sat in the account, accruing interest."

Emma nodded. "So what did you get from your family home?" she asked, moving the topic on from drug money as she sensed that wasn't the smartest conversation to have in a prison visitation area.

"Some furniture, old clothes, my books, a few photo albums. I also cleared my old toys out of the attic. I though they'd be good for Shrimp. And a few things of my father's."

Emma smiled. "What things?" she asked.

"He had photos of every horse competition I ever entered," Regina grinned. "And some cufflinks he had specially made for race days. Oh and a few books about horse training he swore by."

"I'm glad you have some things to remember him by," Emma said.

"Me too," Regina grinned. "I can't wait to tell Shrimp all about his grandfather."

"I can," Emma said.

A hurt looked flashed across the brunette's face. "What do you mean?" Regina asked, confused.

"I'm scared," Emma admitted. "In less than three weeks there is going to be an entire person trying to squeeze their way out of a really tiny part of my body. I mean, seriously, are humans badly designed for childbirth or what?" Emma asked.

Regina smiled sympathetically. "You've been reading the pregnancy and birth books again haven't you."

"Worse," Emma said. "Doc showed me a video."

"Ew!" Regina exclaimed.

"Helpful," Emma snarked. "That's basically me you're 'ew-ing' at."

"No, no honey," Regina assured. "Childbirth is just a bit gross isn't it. It's messy and painful and no one wants to go through it. But every single second will be worth it because at the end, you're going to have Shrimp in your arms for the first time."

"For about five minutes," Emma pointed out.

"I know," Regina nodded. "And I wish it could be different but I promise you I will take such good care of him. And I will bring him up here to visit every weekend. Our new Mercedes is going to be reserved exclusively for these trips."

"Thank you," Emma smiled. "I don't know what I'd do without you."

"Well luckily you'll never have to find out."

"Have you popped yet?"

"Ha ha, very funny," Emma deadpanned into the phone as Red's laugh reached her ear. "Still waiting on the little one to decide he wants to see more than just my insides. I'm two days away from my due date."

"Well tell him to hurry up. His Auntie Red wants to see him."

"I'll let him know," Emma grinned, sitting down on the chair she had dragged from the dining hall to the phones. "How's freedom going?"

"Great," Red said. "Granny gave me a few shifts last week and I've been helping Regina put the finishing touches to the nursery too."

"Yeah she mentioned you'd been helpful. Thanks," Emma replied.

"Not at all," Red said. "She's paying me way too much for my mediocre decorating skills and it's the least I can do for you since I've left you all alone in FCI."

"You've been replaced already," Emma teased.

"By French?" Red asked.

"Yep, she's an even better bunkmate than you were."

"How so?"

"Remember those foot rubs you teasingly offered me and then never delivered on? Well your lovely girlfriend has insisted on pampering me every night."

"Haha, well just because I don't want to touch your chubby feet doesn't mean I'm not a good friend," Red laughed.

"They're only chubby because of Shrimp," Emma argued. "And they really hurt. Seriously I'm the size of a house."

Red laughed again. "Well then I hope he decided to leave real soon and you can get your stomach and ankles back to normal again."

"Me too," Emma mused. "Me too."

It was a Monday lunch time and Emma settled herself more comfortably in the soft chair, her latest pregnancy book open on her lap. She had read almost all of the books French had directed her to but had deliberately avoided all those on the subject of early infancy. She couldn't bear to read about all the milestones she was going to miss out on whilst still locked up.

Her current chapter was explaining various birthing techniques, not that Emma had any say in how her child was delivered. The prison budget didn't extend to pools for water births. Doctor Fisher had talked Emma through all the drugs available to her the previous week and they had put together a comprehensive plan. Despite how tempting the epidural sounded, Emma decided the side effects related to the anaesthetic weren't worth the risk.

The blonde rubbed a hand over her rounded stomach as she turned the page. "You'd better have fully rotated in there Shrimp," she murmured. "I don't fancy a breach birth."

Her words were rewarded with a soft kick. Emma smiled. Her baby had become more and more responsive to her voice over the past month, even kicking a little when Regina had visited the previous weekend, to the delight of both women.

Shrimp kicked a little harder.

"Alright, buddy," Emma soothed. "I'm looking forward to- OUCH!" she cried, doubling over as a shooting pain was felt low in her abdomen.

The pain receded as fast as it had appeared but Emma knew exactly what was happening. Taking deep steadying breaths, the blonde heaved herself to her feet and walked slowly towards the library door.

"Belle?" she asked, leaning heavily on a bookshelf as another contraction began.

The brunette looked up immediately from the book inventory she was checking.

"Emma? Are you ok? Is it time?" French asked, jumping to her feet.

The blonde nodded through gritted teeth and the other woman rushed to her side.

"Has your water broken yet?" she asked, encouraging Emma to lean against her as they began to move towards the library door.

"Not yet," Emma said, breathing steadying as the contraction passed.

"Ok, good," French said, leading Emma towards the doorway. "At least the infirmary is right next door," she said as she held tightly to her friend and eased them both out into the corridor.

"True," Emma said, trying to move as fast as possible so she was in a bed before another contraction came. "Ah damn," she exclaimed as she felt a sudden tightening followed by a warm rush of fluid down her leg.

French looked down at the expanding puddle and then up at her friend. "At least the floors are tiled too," she said with a grin as she toed open the infirmary door and held it back for Emma.

"Fisher?" French called out into the deserted room.

The woman's head popped around her office door and quickly assessed the two women.

"It's time?" she asked, walking quickly to Emma's side.

The blonde nodded. "Three contractions so far and my waters broke outside the door, sorry," she added.

"No problem," Fisher assured. "Come with me, Emma, and we'll get you set up in our private room. French, thank you for your help but you'll have to leave now."

"Can't I stay with her?" French asked as she saw the panicked look in Emma's eyes.

"Sorry," Fisher replied. "But go and get counsellor Booth. He'll stay with Emma throughout the entire thing."

French nodded. "Good luck," she said to Emma with a reassuring squeeze of her arm before she turned and walked quickly from the room.

"Alright Emma," Fisher said, turning back to her patient. "Let's get ready to meet Shrimp."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> P.S. I've never had a baby ...


	43. Hello Shrimp

"What's the time?" Boyd asked.

"Just gone half eleven," Snow replied as French covered a yawn. The three women had gathered in Emma's bunk after Booth had shooed them away from outside the infirmary with the promise he'd come and tell them as soon as the baby was born.

"It's been ten hours," French murmured. "I wish they would have let us stay with her."

"I know," Snow said. "I hate thinking about her being in there all alone."

"She's got Booth," French amended.

"It's not the same as friends, or Regina," Boyd added.

"True," French said.

The women fell into silence once more, waiting. Just as Boyd began to re-read one of Red's old magazines for the umpteenth time, heavy footsteps echoed through the dark corridor outside the bunk and all three women stood up immediately.

Booth entered the room and smiled tiredly at Emma's friends.

"He's here," he said.

"Yes!" the women said in unison.

"How is he? How's Emma?" Snow asked.

"Both are doing great. Labour was pretty long but the birth itself went really smoothly and Swan is recovering now. The baby is with her."

"And Regina?" French asked.

"She's here too," Booth replied. He'd phoned the brunette as soon as French had raced into his room earlier in the day. "She's not allowed in to the main prison but she's waiting for the paperwork to be completed so she can take him home."

"Can we see them?" Boyd asked.

"I'm afraid not. Emma is too tired now and our main priority is to get the baby where he is supposed to be. He's not able to stay in FCI much longer. As soon as Emma signs the custody papers, I'll be taking him through to Regina."

"Tonight?" Snow asked.

"Yes," Booth nodded. "Anyway, now you know Swan is ok, I suggest you three head to bed. Your friend is going to need your support more than ever over the next few days."

Emma gazed down at the baby in her arms. Her baby. His eyes were closed and the fine blonde hair on his crown fluttered slightly as she breathed. His tiny nose and perfect pink lips, his minute ears, topped with fuzzy hairs Emma knew would soon drop off, the young woman took in every detail, remembered every moment with her son. She was exhausted but she hadn't dared close her eyes for fear of missing even a second of their time together. He was wrapped in a soft blue blanket, nestled close to her chest. She'd already breast-fed him once after reading that some of the nutrients the first feed provides for the baby is incomparable to any formula. It had felt strange. An intimate sensation as his lips fumbled to gain purchase for a few minutes before he finally latched on and sucked eagerly. Emma leaned down and placed a soft kiss to his forehead. The baby stirred but his eyes remained closed.

She pulled him closer to her body, unwilling to miss a second of the short time she knew they had together. Booth had told her Regina was here, waiting. She had begged him to let the brunette visit but he had reluctantly refused. Emma didn't even have it in her to be angry at him. He had been fantastic throughout the birth and she didn't think she would have got through the past ten hours without him. She knew she'd see Regina at visitation the following Saturday anyway. With their son. She just wished she could hand him to the brunette herself. And tell her the name she had chosen.

Regina insisted Emma had final say over the baby's name after the two women argued for hours about different names, unable to come to a decision. Despite Emma being adamant that it was their son and that they were co-parents, she had conceded if they were unable to decide together, she would choose. Emma thought Regina would be happy with her final choice. She'd have to be: the ink on the birth certificate was dry.

A whimper from her baby snapped Emma back into the present. His mouth was ajar as a small spit bubble expanded there. The blonde smiled wider as his eyes cracked open. Brown orbs blinked slowly, the infant's limited vision deciphering shapes and some colours. Emma watched as his gaze moved to her face, the pupils dilating slightly.

"Hey Shrimp," Emma said, her voice choked with emotion. "I'm your mum."

The baby's mouth opened a little more, a gurgling sound coming out as he wriggled more violently against the tight bind of the blanket.

"You hungry?" Emma asked, shifting him slightly away as she pulled her hospital gown up to expose her breast.

It took him much less time than before to work out what to do and within moments, a hungry mouth was covering Emma's swollen areola. She winced slightly as his gums closed over her nipple. Glancing down, she saw his eyes were closed again, content to be pressed against his mother's skin, feeding once more as he felt her warmth and inhaled her scent.

There was a knock at the door.

"Come in," Emma said without tearing her eyes away from her son.

"Sorry," Booth said. "I didn't mean to disturb you. Do you want me to give you some privacy?"

"Don't worry," Emma said softly. "After today, I don't think you and I have anything private left."

Booth smiled and moved further into the room, standing beside the bed and grinning wider as he saw the little family before him.

"How's he doing?" he asked.

"He's perfect," Emma sighed, her voice tired but happy.

Booth hesitated before breaking the news he knew he needed to deliver. "Emma," he said, waiting until she was looking at him before continuing. "I've got the paperwork."

The blonde nodded mutely.

"I'm so sorry, but we're going to need to pass him over to Regina."

Emma nodded again before turning her glistening eyes back to her still suckling son. As Booth watched, several tears fell onto his head. Emma lifted a shaking hand to wipe them away.

"Can we wait until after he's finished feeding?" Emma asked in a choked voice.

"Of course," Booth nodded. "I'll come back in a few minutes."

Emma nodded, trying with all her might not to break down further in front of her counsellor. She heard the door close and was unable to stop the sob that wracked her body. The baby mewled as her frame shook and his mouth was dislodged from her breast.

"I'm sorry," Emma cried, guiding his lips back as she tried to control her anguish.

Taking several steadying breaths, Emma tried to focus. Focus on the baby, on the feel of him in her arms, on the way he smelt, on the noises he made as he fed, on her son.

"I love you," Emma whispered as she tightened her arms around the tiny bundle.

He stopped feeding a few seconds before Booth knocked on the door. Emma looked up from straightening her gown and her heart began to beat faster.

"Already?" Emma asked.

"I'm afraid so," he nodded.

Emma took a deep breath and nodded. Placing one more kiss to her son's forehead, she raised him up and held him out for Booth to take, which he did in surprisingly gentle arms. As soon as the comforting weight of him was gone, Emma closed her eyes, turning away from her counsellor and curling up into a ball. Cries filled the room. Booth hesitated before turning away and taking the baby out of the room.

Her impatient fingers played with the silver disc, twisting it on its chain and running the pad of her finger over the swan engraving. Regina stood up as soon as she saw Booth, dropping the necklace back to where it nestled against her chest. She gasped as she saw the tiny bundle of blankets in his arms. Before she knew it, he was in front of her.

"Are you ready for this?" Booth asked.

"I've never been more ready for anything in my life," she replied.

"Good," Booth said. "Because Emma is trusting you with him. I'm trusting you with him."

"I know," Regina nodded. "I'm going to be the best mother in the world, until Emma gets out and claims that title."

Booth smiled and extending his arms. Regina took the baby, looking into his face for the first time. He was sleeping. He was perfect.

"She's just fed him," Booth explained. "Do you have formula." Regina nodded. "And your car has a seat fitted for a new born?" More nodding. Apparently something about this baby made his mothers mute. "Ok then," Booth said. "If you just sign this paperwork you two can be on your way. Here's his birth certificate," he said, handing over a piece of paper.

"Thanks," Regina said, glancing briefly at it. Just as she was sitting back down in her chair to go over the paperwork, her eyes snapped back to the name on the birth certificate. "Er, Booth?" she asked.

"Yes?" Booth said, rifling through his file to find the sheets Regina needed to complete.

"Is this a mistake?" she asked.

"What?" Booth asked.

"His name."

"Oh, that reminds me," he said, reaching into his pocket and pulling out a letter. "Emma asked me to give this to you."

Regina took the envelope and fumbled it open with one hand, the other arm occupied holding her son. As soon as she got the letter out, she unfolded it and began to read:

Dear Regina,

We did it. Well, I did the messy bit but anyway, here we are. We have a son. We have a family. Without you, I would have had to give up my child. I would never have the chance to know him, watch him grow up, laugh with him, cry with him, make memories with him, and love him every single day of my life with every single piece of my heart. You are the reason I can do this. I will do this. Thank you for giving me the opportunity to be a mother.

And it's because of the person you are that I fell in love with you. So completely and utterly in love, Regina. You make me happier than I've ever been in my life. You make me feel safe, important, valued, special, loved. You are such an incredible woman and I am so happy you are going to be raising our son. I wish I could be alongside you right from the beginning but I know you'll take the best possible care of him until I get out and can help you. You know what a bad parent looks like, but you also know what a good parent does for their child. Your father is a big part of who you are today, a big part of nurturing and caring for the woman I fell in love with. Which is why I would like to introduce you to Henry Swan. My family aren't worth recognising, nor is your mother. But Henry Mills? I think he is the perfect person to name our son after.

Take good care of him and yourself, Regina. Never forget how much I love you and how grateful I am for all you are doing for me, for us.

I love you,

Emma x


	44. Visiting Emma

October

"And he's sleeping ok?" Emma asked, smiling down into her son's face. He was looking back up at her, his eyes wide.

"Not too bad," Regina replied, covering a yawn.

"Unconvincing," Emma declared, reaching across the table in the visitation area and squeezing the brunette's hand. "How is he really?"

"Ok, it's not easy. I'm up several times every night. I know it's normal but it's just hard being unable to share the strain with anyone."

"I'm sorry," Emma offered.

Regina shook her head. "It's not you fault. And as soon as I pick him up, he quietens really quickly. He's feeding well and I find it rather relaxing once he's got the bottle and we can just recline in the bed together."

"I wish I could see you guys like that," Emma said.

"Soon," Regina said.

"Not soon enough," Emma declared.

"Agreed. But I'll bring Henry every weekend to see you, I promise."

Emma smiled as she heard her girlfriend say their son's name. "It suits him, doesn't it," she said.

"Perfectly," Regina nodded. "Thank you so much Emma. My father would be so honoured."

Emma grinned. "You're welcome."

"How are you feeling anyway?" Regina asked, looking into her girlfriend's face with concern. The dark circles under her eyes were back and her face looked thinner.

"I'm ok," Emma lied. Regina raised an eyebrow. "It's hard," she admitted. "All I want is to be with you and Henry but I can't. I have another three and a half months left until I can actually be the mother he deserves."

"You know he won't remember any of this, Emma," Regina said. "He'll never know you weren't the one picking him up when he cries and changing his diaper and rocking him to sleep. For the time that really matters, you'll be there every step of the way."

"I know," Emma nodded. "It's just hard."

"Are Snow and your friends looking out for you?" Regina asked.

Emma nodded. "They've been great. Making me join them for meals and inviting me to the tv room every evening. Trying to keep me distracted basically."

"Good," Regina smiled. "Hang in there and you'll be out before you know it."

"Two minutes left!" Hunter announced.

Emma looked up at the clock panicked. "Why does time go double speed in this room?" she asked, moving Henry closer to her and placing a kiss on his forehead. He had fallen asleep in her arms as she and Regina spoke.

"I know," Regina nodded. "But we'll be here again next week. Promise."

Emma sighed and nodded. She slowly got to her feet, partly so she wouldn't wake her son, and partly because she was still a little tender from the labour. Carefully handing over the sleeping boy, Emma couldn't help but smile as Henry made a little gurgling noise at the movement before settling into his other mother's arms.

"Goodbye love," she whispered, placing another kiss to the crown of Henry's head, inhaling his unique baby smell. "And goodbye my other love," she said, leaning in to kiss Regina softly on her lips.

"I love you," Regina said as they broke apart. The brunette hesitated for a split second before turning and walking away. Emma watched them go, not returning to the main prison until the door had closed firmly behind her family.

"Happy birthday to you! Happy birthday to you! Happy birthday dear Emma. Happy birthday to you!"

Emma burst out laughing as she watched Regina waltz into the visitation room, Henry securely in one arm and her other hand holding a huge bunch of helium balloons.

"How the hell did you persuade the guards to allow those in here?" she asked as she hugged the brunette tightly, careful not to squash their son in the middle.

"Let's call it feminine whiles," Regina said with a wink.

"You flirted you way to bringing your girlfriend birthday balloons?" Emma asked as she took Henry from the brunette's arms. "Who fell for that?"

"Nolan," Regina shrugged as she tied the balloons to Emma's chair and sat in the one opposite.

"Of course he did," Emma laughed.

"And how's my little man?" she asked, turning her attention to Henry who was following the movement of the balloons behind the blonde's head.

"Great," Regina smiled. "We've got his feeding into a vague routine, he hardly ever cries and journeys in the car send him straight to sleep. He was a little grumpy when I woke him as we arrived just now but he seems to have gotten over that now he's with his mother."

"HIs other mother," Emma amended, smiling as Henry's tiny fist grasped the finger she had been stroking his stomach with.

"How was your birthday?" Regina asked. "I'm sorry I had to go when you phoned but I've learned that not cleaning up projectile milky vomit straight away is a bad move."

Emma wrinkled her nose. "Gross! Is he ok now?"

"Yeah he's fine," she smiled. "I think it was just because I didn't manage to burp him properly. Sometimes he's just too wriggly and I eventually give up. I've learned my lesson though. From now on I will persist!"

Emma laughed. "Are you making a mess for mummy?" she asked. Henry's brown eyes slid from the balloons to the blonde's face. His tiny fist tightened as he stared up into her green orbs.

"Did the girls do something for you yesterday?" Regina asked.

"There may have been a cake and some hooch," Emma said with a wink.

"Typical prison birthday party then," Regina smiled. "I've got something to make your 19th a little bit special actually," she said, reaching into her bag and pulling out an envelope and a small, wrapped parcel.

Emma grinned as she shifted Henry so she could open the card. She gasped as she saw a tiny handprint in red paint on the front, Regina's beautiful handwriting underneath spelling out Happy Birthday Mummy. Emma's eyes filled with tears as she looked up at her smiling girlfriend.

"I tried to get him to write his name but-," Regina joked.

"Thank you," Emma said through a watery smile as she opened the card and read the brief message of love and good wishes inside.

Placing the card on the table, she moved to pick up the present. Unwrapping it, she smiled widely as she saw a picture of Regina and Henry in an intricately carved wooden frame. Regina wore the widest smile Emma had ever seen, her short hair perfectly styled as always, and Henry was looking right into the camera lens wearing an adorable onesie covered in tiny horses.

"I had to get a photo frame with a plastic cover in case you went psycho and killed someone with a glass one but I have the exact same picture on the mantel piece at home. I thought you might want a photo of Henry, of us, for the rest of your stay."

"It's perfect, Regina. You're perfect, both of you," the blonde smiled, reaching across the table to hold her girlfriend's hand.

November

"I hate fireworks," Regina grumbled as she handed a sleeping Henry to Emma and collapsed into the visitation chair.

"Oh dear," Emma said as she took in the exhausted appearance of her girlfriend. "What happened?"

"The neighbours had a party yesterday. Henry screamed all night. Even after the bangs stopped he wouldn't quieten down. I didn't sleep a wink and nor did he. Then morning came and he settled at last. And then I had to drive up here."

"I'm sorry," Emma said. "You didn't have to come."

"Of course we did," Regina scoffed. "We haven't missed a weekend yet and we're not about to start with only two months left of your sentence."

"Well thank you, and sorry on Henry's behalf," Emma smiled.

"It's a shame too," Regina added. "He's learnt a new trick."

"What?" Emma asked. She loved hearing about his progress.

"Smiling," Regina said, with a beam of her own.

"Really?" Emma gasped, looking down into her sleeping son's face and momentarily thinking of waking him. But she didn't. She knew he needed his sleep after the previous night.

"It's so beautiful Emma," Regina said. "It's so genuine and pure. I have some photos on my phone but Nolan wouldn't let me in with it."

"Did you flirt?" Emma asked.

"Yep," Regina replied. "But even he isn't that stupid."

"What do you do to get Henry to smile?" Emma asked.

"A few things. He likes it when I sing to him. And peek-a-boo sometimes gets a reaction. Oh and there's this one toy unicorn that he's obsessed with and he's always grinning right before he starts sucking on the rubber horn."

Emma laughed. "He sounds perfect," the blonde smiled. She felt like she wasn't really missing out so much when Regina told her the stories every weekend. She was getting to know her son's personality, likes, dislikes and temperament. She just couldn't wait to experience everything first hand.

"I am thankful for my family," Emma said, smiling happily at Henry who was grinning up at her as he lay in her arms, a rubber unicorn grasped in his pudgy fist. "I am thankful for my son who is the cutest baby in the world ever. I am thankful for my friends who have been supporting me over the past two months. I'm thankful for Booth and Fisher who've been there right from the start. And you," Emma said, looking up at her girlfriend. "I'm thankful for you Regina. Without you, I wouldn't have Henry in my arms today. Without you I wouldn't have my family. Thank you for loving me."

Regina smiled widely, her hand clasped in Emma's. The blonde beamed back before nodding her head, prompting the brunette to begin her own Thanksgiving speech.

"I'm thankful for my new family. I'm thankful for my father who showed me what love is and I'm thankful for him for the love he gave me every day of his life. I'm thankful for you, Emma. Thank you for giving your heart to me, and for giving me your son. I've always wanted a child and am thankful I can take care of Henry for you. I guess that means I'm thankful I was arrested when I was. It meant I met you, and it meant I was free when I needed to take care of Henry. Thank you Emma, for being my family."

December

"You dressed our son as an elf?" Emma asked as she took Henry from Regina and eyed the new onesie. It was Christmas Eve and FCI had changed the visitation day from Saturday to Thursday so the inmates could see their families before the holiday.

"He looks so cute!" Regina argued as she sat down.

"He's always cute!" Emma argued. "That doesn't mean you have to dress him up in a freaky outfit."

"You're scared of elves?" Regina asked, surprised.

Emma blushed slightly. "Maybe."

Regina bit back a laugh. "Why?"

"Their ears," Emma shrugged. "I don't like their ears."

This time the brunette couldn't hold back. A giggle tumbled from her lips and Emma's heart skipped at the sound. "Honey, our son doesn't have pointy ears, look," she said as she leaned over the table and pulled the little hat off Henry's head. His blonde mop of hair fell back into place.

Emma hesitated before tilting the boy's head gently to the left then the right side for inspection.

"Happy now?" Regina asked.

"Better," Emma nodded. "But next year, can he be Rudolph or Santa please?"

"Of course," Regina said with a laugh.

"What presents did you get for him?" Emma asked.

"Way too many toys, a new play mat, more books, a mobile to hang above his crib since I broke the other one last week. Oh and a new set of onesies."

"He's a lucky boy," Emma said, trying to remember a birthday when she had more than one present to unwrap. She couldn't.

"He's spoilt," Regina corrected. "But he's not even three months old yet so I don't think it matters. Anyway, he gets his real present in January. You, Emma," Regina added when the blonde frowned at her.

The smile that lit up Emma's face was dazzling.

"Twenty-two more days!" she exclaimed.

"I know. I bought a 2016 calendar months ago and your release date has been marked ever since. I can't wait to drive up here one last time and return to our home with you beside me."

"Can we celebrate Christmas again when I get out?" Emma asked.

"Of course," Regina nodded. "I'll save some of Henry's presents for you to give him."

"Thanks," Emma said. "I can't wait Regina. I can't wait to be a proper family with you. Henry is going to have the best mothers in the world ever."

"He already does," Regina pointed out.

"It's not the same," Emma argued. "I want to be there for the night time feedings. I want to change his diaper. I want to sooth him fevers. I want to hold him when he cries. And I want you right beside me when we do all of that."

"Twenty-two more days, my love. Twenty-two more days."

"Two minutes ladies and gentlemen," Fa called from the back of the room.

The blonde sighed. "Merry Christmas, Regina."

"Merry Christmas, Emma."

"Merry Christmas, Henry," the blonde said, placing a kiss to the forehead of her now sleeping son.

Twenty-two more days.


	45. Welcome Home

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> NSWF

January 13th 2016

"You just need to sign there to confirm all your possessions have been released back to you," Fa instructed as she handed Emma a form and pointed to the bottom of the page.

Emma nodded, scanned the list of her measly belongings she had been arrested with, and scrawled her name.

"That's everything done," Fa smiled. "You're free to go. Keep out of trouble Miss Swan, I don't want to see you back here any time soon."

"You won't," Emma assured.

"Good," Fa nodded. "Now go and make up for the time you've missed with your son."

Emma grinned, thanked the officer and turned to say farewell to Booth. She had to admit, she was going to miss him. Their weekly sessions had become part of her routine in prison and the man had been her rock over the past eleven months. After Regina got stabbed, their sessions had increased numerically and in intensity. Emma had become comfortable in his presence, reassured by his steady voice, reliant on his advice.

She took a deep breath and held out her hand. "Thank you for everything Mr Booth," she said as he shook her hand.

"My pleasure, Miss Swan," he said warmly. "It's not often in this job that I come across a genuinely good person but you, you're one of them. You should never have been inside and I'm sure you'll never come back."

"I wouldn't change it, being here, not a thing," Emma shrugged. When Booth frowned, she continued. "Meeting Neal, getting pregnant, recovering the watches he stole, getting arrested, getting convicted, coming to FCI. Everything led to where I am now. I have Regina, I have Henry. I have a family. It's not been easy. It's been painful and sad and frustrating and difficult in every conceivable way. But it was all worth it. Thank you Booth. Thank you for being there for me."

"Anytime Emma," he said. "You have my number. If you ever want to talk or anything, please call."

"I will."

"Good," Booth nodded. "Now get out of here and go and have a fabulous life."

Emma laughed as Booth led her over to the door. "Ready?" he asked, his hand resting on the handle. Emma nodded and the man pushed the door open.

The cool January air whipped Emma's hair back from her shoulders as she squinted against the bright morning sun. Within seconds however, her eyes found what they were looking for. Regina was leaning against a sleek black Mercedes, holding a bottle for Henry who was feeding hungrily. The brunette hadn't even noticed her girlfriend was walking towards the little family.

"Can I take over?" she asked as she approached.

"Emma!" Regina gasped, looking up from her son to stare at the blonde.

"Hey," she said, simply.

Regina wrapped her free arm around Emma and the blonde hugged her back, placing a kiss to Regina's cheek as she broke away.

"Here, take your son," Regina said, pulling the bottle from Henry's lips and holding the baby out. Henry whimpered slightly at having his meal cut short but quietened as soon as Emma's hand placed the teat back to his mouth. Regina smiled at the sight before her. Emma was free. Their son had two mothers. They were a family.

Regina opened the passenger door and Emma sat down, staring at her son's peaceful face as she waited for Henry to finish his feeding. The blonde watched in awe as the milk disappeared steadily, the boy's round tummy visibly expanding as he drank. She felt so completely happy, sitting there with Henry, Regina by her side. Emma sighed in contentment as she pulled the empty bottle away and moved her son to rest against her chest as Regina placed a muslin over her shoulder.

"Let's go home," Emma said as she finished burping Henry a few minutes later.

"Do you want me to help you strap him in?" Regina offered as Emma stood to carry Henry to his car seat in the back.

"Nah, I'll figure it out, thanks," Emma smiled.

Regina nodded and walked around to the driver's side, slipping into her seat and waiting for Emma to join her in the front.

When Henry was safely buckled in, Emma picked up the bag of her few possessions and threw them into the trunk, noting as she did so that it was mostly full of a collapsed buggy, toys, and a pair of horse riding boots.

When she was sat beside Regina, Emma turned to her girlfriend and looked at her properly for the first time. The brunette's makeup was immaculate as always but there was something different, something extra, but Emma couldn't put her finger on what. Her dark hair was styled carefully to frame her face and accentuate her cheekbones. Her winter coat covered what Emma assumed was a dress, judging by the pantyhose she could see.

"How are you feeling?" Regina asked as she watched her girlfriend's eyes rove over her.

"Weird," Emma admitted. "But a good weird. I'm happy, really happy."

"Me too," Regina said. "I'm so glad you're free Emma. I can't wait for you to see our home."

In that moment, Emma realised what was different. Regina looked free too, like she had been waiting since July to truly break away from the prison. Every weekend at visitation, Regina had been returning to the place she had been locked up for three years. She had been reminded weekly of the memories of the trauma that had led to her incarceration and the feud with her sister and mother. But from today, she would never again have to drive to FCI.

"We're free Regina, and I can't wait for the three of us to be a family," Emma said, leaning over to place a chaste kiss on plump red lips. Regina sighed into the contact and couldn't help but deepen the kiss instantly. Five and a half months of tame touches and kisses at visitation hadn't been enough. Her tongue was welcomed into Emma's hot mouth, a moan swallowed by eager lips as her fingers tangled in blonde hairs as she leaned across the car to get closer to her girlfriend.

"Wait," Emma said, pulling back after a minute and breathing deeply. "Not here," she said, glancing out the window at FCI. "Let's go home."

Emma's jaw dropped as Regina flicked the indicator and turned the luxurious vehicle onto a wide drive, flanked on either side by tall trees casting dappled shadows across the road.

"This is it?" Emma asked as she passed an ornate iron sign reading Swan Stables.

Regina nodded. "This is it," she confirmed as the car rounded the bend and the house came into view for the first time.

"Wow!" Emma gasped as her eyes raked over the huge building. The old barn conversion was far bigger than the pictures had made it look. The large front door was set in the middle, with two windows on either side downstairs and a further six on the upper level. "It's huge Regina!" Emma said, turning to the brunette as she parked the Mercedes alongside the Land Rover.

"It's not that big once you get used to it," Regina argued, turning to smile at her awestruck girlfriend. "Do you want a tour?"

Emma nodded mutely and climbed out. She glared momentarily at the Land Rover. She didn't think she'd ever forgive the vehicle for the days of worry she had endured all those months ago. Ducking back into the car, she lifted a sleeping Henry and closed the door lightly to avoid waking him.

Regina was stood beside a small wooden gate, waiting. She smiled as Emma and their son approached.

"You were right," Emma said. "The car does send him to sleep."

"He'll wake in a bit, it's nearly lunch time. But before that happens, let's get you settled in. So over there," Regina said, waving her hand to the right, "are the stables. I've got four loose boxes finished already and the rest are in construction. And to the left are most of the paddocks. The menage is behind the stable block. I'll take you down there after Henry's eaten and you can meet Trigger." Emma nodded and smiled at the mention of her girlfriend's new horse before staring around at her new home.

"It all looks amazing Regina," Emma said.

"Do you want to see inside?" Regina asked.

Emma nodded and walked through the gate Regina was now holding open for her. The path weaved between flowerbeds, carefully tended even in the cool winter. A large apple tree stood by the wall, casting a shadow over one of the windows as it waved gently in the breeze. Emma thought the dirt around the base looked like it had been freshly disturbed.

As Regina reached the door, she turned around. "I almost forgot," she said, dipping her hand into her handbag and rummaging around until her fingers felt cool metal.

"Welcome home, Emma," Regina said as she placed a set of keys into the blonde's hand, a picture of Henry and Regina dangling from the end.

The two women only made it to the second downstairs reception area, which Regina had set up as her office, before Henry woke and began to cry.

"Is my little man hungry?" Regina asked. The crying grew louder. "Come through to the kitchen and we'll mix him up some formula," the brunette said, leading Emma back to the large room.

With practised ease, Regina made the formula, poured it into the bottle and handed it to Emma. The blonde sank onto a stool beside the breakfast bar and watched her son quietened immediately as the milk hit his stomach.

"Are you hungry?" Regina asked, realising Emma hadn't eaten anything since Athena's inevitably terrible breakfast several hours prior.

"Starving," the blonde replied, suddenly becoming aware of her own hunger.

"What do you want?" Regina asked, moving to the large fridge and opening the door to inspect their supplies.

"Something quick and easy is fine," Emma shrugged.

"Chicken stir fry?" Regina asked, turning around with a packet of organic chicken breast in one hand and a bag of mixed vegetables in the other.

"Perfect, thank you," Emma smiled, looking back down at Henry.

The blonde's gaze flicked between her son and her girlfriend as Regina moved easily around the spotless kitchen, chopping and cooking with a smile on her face as she glanced frequently at her family.

Within minutes, a steaming plate was placed in front of Emma.

"Shall I take him?" Regina asked, gesturing to the still feeding boy.

"Yes please," Emma said, transferring Henry so she could eat her meal more easily. "This is delicious Regina," the blonde said through a mouthful of noodles.

The brunette looked disapprovingly at Emma's table manners but smiled nonetheless as she scooped up a second forkful. It took no time at all for Emma to finish, just as Henry suckled the last of his milk from the bottle. Regina shifted him against her chest, the muslin over her shoulder as she rubbed soothing circled on his back.

Emma stood to wash her plate, along with the pans and boards Regina had dirtied. As she dried her hands on a tea towel, she turned around to see Henry's eyes closing slowly as Regina bounced him, walking around the kitchen.

"He'll be down for about two hours now," the brunette said quietly as she passed Emma. "Follow me and I'll show you to his nursery."

Emma nodded and walked after the older woman and her son, staring into every room she passed.

"Wow," she breathed as she saw the enormous frame painting of a magnificent black horse hanging opposite the bend in the wide staircase.

"It was my fathers," Regina said. "I had it shipped down from Maine."

"It's incredible," Emma said, staring at it as she passed.

"Here we are," Regina said, nudging a door open with her hip. A plaque covered in zoo animals told Emma this was Henry's room.

The blonde grinned widely as she stepped inside. The crib was in the centre of the far wall, a wall covered in paintings of animals. An elephant, a lion, a giraffe, a zebra, a tiger and several monkeys smiled at the family as they moved further into the room. A bookshelf on one side was stacked with tomes and an open toy chest showed Emma a colourful array of plastic and furry animals, trains, cars, and balls.

"You and Red did an amazing job!" Emma praised as Regina laid Henry on the changing mat.

"It was mostly Red to be honest," Regina said, now rummaging around for a new diaper and wipes. "She's rather talented."

"We should have her over some time this week," Emma mused, turning around to see Regina slipping off Henry's onesie. "Oh can I do it?"

"Change his dirty diaper? Of course," Regina smiled. She stepped out the way and watched as the blonde fumbled her way through the task. "Not bad!" she commented as Emma stuck the last tab down. "Here are his pyjamas," she said, handing Emma a blue onesie covered in swans.

Emma looked at the pattern and then up at her girlfriend. "What?" Regina asked.

"You missed me," Emma teased as she turned back to redress Henry.

"More than you'll ever know," Regina said, walking up behind Emma and placing her chin on the blonde's shoulder as she watched their son wriggle sleepily in his new clothes. Both women stood for a moment, enjoying the moment.

After a while, Emma picked Henry up, gently lowered the now sleeping baby into his crib and pulled the white blanket up to cover his legs and stomach. Regina watched the tender interaction as Emma brushed his darkening blonde hair from his forehead and placed a kiss there before backing away and letting Regina approach.

"Have a nice sleep, Henry," Regina said, kissing the same spot as Emma before stepping back and turning on the baby monitor.

The two women walked quietly from the room, leaving the door ajar.

"How long did you say he will sleep for?" Emma asked.

"Two hours," Regina replied.

"Perfect," Emma smiled, stepping forward to kiss the brunette sounding. Breaking apart, Emma took both of Regina's hands in her own. "Now if you would like to continue that tour of our house, I'd quite like to see the master bedroom."

Emma's hands guided the zipper down Regina's back, her lips never breaking the feverish kiss that had started the second the door was closed behind the two of them and Henry's baby monitor was placed on the dresser. Emma relished the feeling of the smooth skin of Regina's back under her fingertips as she slipped her hands under the fabric and teased the dress away from the brunette's shoulders. It fell effortlessly to the floor, where Regina stepped quickly out of it, tugging Emma with her by the belt as the two women approached the bed. Sitting on the edge, Regina reached for the bottom of Emma's tank top and pulled it up and off. Her hands came to caress the once again flat stomach, wondering in amazement at how their son had been growing inside there just a few months prior.

Emma waited patiently as Regina's fingertips trailed over the light stretch marks now marring her skin. She disliked the way they looked but could never regret them. They had brought her Henry. And she wasn't going to stop Regina touching them, not when she knew she'd soon be placing her own hands on Regina's scars.

Soon fingers moved to unbuckle Emma's belt and between them the two women managed to wrestle the blonde out of her skinny jeans. Left only in her mismatched bra and panties, Emma smiled shyly at Regina as the brunette looked slowly up the body before her until her eyes met green orbs.

"You're perfect," she whispered, her hands caressing Emma's trim waist.

"So are you," Emma said as she leaned down to Regina, pushing the brunette backwards onto the bed as they kissed once more.

The pantyhose were discarded instantly and Regina shuffled her way backwards up the huge bed until her head was resting on a pillow. Emma crawled after her, admiring the lacy underwear set her girlfriend had chosen.

"You look incredible," Emma murmured as she placed a kiss to Regina's neck. The brunette moaned as she felt a hot tongue lave her skin before teeth nipped gently. As she continued to tease Regina's neck, Emma's hands moved up to caress each scar on the brunette's body. First the thin razor blade cut, then the puncture wound the wire had caused just below her left breast. Finally, both hands drifted to just below Regina's naval, to the stab mark that had changed their lives forever. Trailing kisses down Regina's neck, between her breast and over her ribcage, Emma brushed her lips reverently over the scar.

"Emma, please," Regina said, breathily. It had been too long. There would be time for gentle caresses and loving touches later but right now, she just needed to feel the blonde.

Emma understood and moved her mouth back up to Regina's, their lips joining once more as their tongues danced. Emma undid Regina's bra and the brunette did the same to her. Both women gasped as their nipples rubbed against one another. Regina moved her hands down to grasp Emma's toned ass, pulling the blonde down on top of her. The feel of the other woman's weight atop her made Regina groan with want, the coiling in her belly tightening further.

"I've missed you so much, Regina," Emma murmured as her kisses quested to the shell of the brunette's ear.

"I've missed you too, Emma," Regina said, squeezing the tight globes her hands were still holding tightly.

A cry escaped Regina as Emma's tongue dipped into her ear, the heat and sound of the blonde's ragged breathing causing a rush of liquid to her centre. Emma grinned slyly, licked Regina's lobe one more time before she slithered down the trembling body beneath her.

As she settled herself between Regina's legs, Emma placed a gentle kiss to the lace covered sex. Winking up at Regina, the blonde took the edge of the material in her teeth and tugged the thong down and off the brunette. Regina moaned at the sight as Emma stood at the end of her bed, the scrap of black fabric hanging from her mouth.

With a predatory glint in her eye, Emma discarded the panties and all but threw herself back between Regina's legs, inhaling the strong, heady scent of her lover. Without wasting another second, Emma's tongue laved a long, slow stroke from Regina's entrance up to her sensitive nub. A gasp and the feel of Regina's fingers in her hair made Emma smile before she repeated the movement. Already soaked, Emma knew it wouldn't be long before Regina was coming in her mouth, her juices flowing over her tongue again. She couldn't wait to feel her girlfriend writhe in pleasure beneath her. Slipping a finger through Regina's folds, the blonde circled the sensitive entrance before pushing one finger inside.

"Oh Emma!" Regina cried as her body clenched around the invading digit. It had been a while since the brunette had orgasmed. With Henry and her new business, she was usually too tired to masturbate when she went to bed. Her body relished the feeling of Emma's finger inside it whilst her hips bucked involuntarily as teeth nibbled lightly on her clit.

Emma curled her other arm around Regina's waist, pinning her to the bed as she sucked the brunette harder into her mouth with her finger still moving inside the tight channel. She curled her finger, stroking the spongy wall as her teeth grazed Regina's clit.

"More," Regina panted.

Obliging instantly, Emma slid another finger inside Regina, groaning herself as the feel of hot velvety walls surrounded them. The noise of the brunette's clenching sex filled her ears, along with Regina's moans and heavy breathing. Emma's own panties were soaked through as she redoubled her efforts, pumping her fingers harder as her tongue flicked faster.

Regina cried out as her orgasm hit her, fingers in Emma's hair anchoring the blonde's furiously working mouth to her sex to draw out the waves of pleasure. Emma never gave up, licking and laving until Regina released her grip, her body shuddering.

Sliding her fingers free Emma scrambled immediately up to lie beside Regina, kissing her girlfriend and making sure she could taste herself on Emma's tongue. She knew the brunette had liked that in prison. A moan told Emma she still did.

"That was amazing Emma. You're amazing."

"You're amazing too. You taste amazing," Emma added, wiping her still sticky chin with a finger before licking the digit clean.

"That is so hot," Regina said, her eyes darkening.

"You're hot," Emma countered, chuckling as Regina rolled her onto her back and straddled the blonde. She gasped however when the brunette rolled her hips, smearing Emma's taut stomach with her warm juices.

"It's your turn, Emma," Regina said, sliding down the body beneath her and quickly divesting Emma of her panties.

"I, um, be gentle," Emma said as Regina settled between her legs, a slight flush to her cheeks.

"What do you mean?" Regina asked. "Have I hurt you before?" she said, panicked.

"No, no," Emma assured. "Just, well this is the first time I will have … come, since Henry."

Regina nodded understandingly. "I'll take it slow," she promised, placing a soft kiss to Emma's hip bone before turning her attention to the blonde's sex.

Spreading Emma's labia, Regina slid one finger up and down the drenched sex before her, allowing Emma to get used to the intimate contact again. After a few moments, Emma bucked her hips upwards, encouraging Regina to continue. The brunette slid her finger down to Emma's entrance, circled it once, before moving up to draw rings around her clit. As her fingers moved downwards, Regina lowered her eager mouth to place a kiss to the hooded bundle of nerves at the top.

The brunette groaned as the smell and taste of Emma washed over her. Moving slowly, she slid the flat of her tongue over the blonde's clit before moving down to where her finger was circling Emma's entrance. Using both her tongue and finger, Regina teased the hole, feeling the liquid leaking from it making Emma and herself even wetter. Gently, Regina dipped her tongue inside, flicking it from side to side against Emma's walls. A loud gasp made the brunette stop immediately.

"Are you ok?" she asked, worried.

"Never better," Emma panted. "Don't stop, please!"

Regina nodded and quickly returned her mouth to Emma's entrance as her fingers moved to circle her clit. Tensing her tongue, the brunette pushed further inside, moaning as she felt Emma's essence coat her mouth and chin. The tip of her tongue stroked the inside the hot, tight channel, feeling the ridged walls as she trapped Emma's clit between two fingers and squeezed lightly.

The blonde thrashed on the bed as she felt her girlfriend's tongue dance inside her, touching every spot she knew made Emma's toes curl. Her clit was being tortuously played with by slender fingers at the same time and the blonde propped herself up on her elbows to watch the brown haired head bobbing between her legs.

"FUCK!" Emma cried as Regina pushed even further inside, her tongue quivering as her fingers pressed harder against her nerves.

Rocking her hips upwards, Emma's hands pulled Regina's head closer, grinding against her face as her orgasm crashed over her. The muscles spasmed and jumped as Regina's tongue milked her channel. She cried out the brunette's name over and over, a chant reverberating around their bedroom as she trembled with pleasure.

Regina wiped her chin on Emma's thigh and crawled up to flop beside her sated girlfriend.

"Was that ok?" Regina asked, caressing Emma's cheek and causing the blonde to open her eyes and turn her head towards the brunette.

"That was better than ok," Emma sighed, rolling into Regina's arms and curling up against her naked skin. "This is better than ok. Us. Me, you and Henry. Together, we're going to be great."

The women fell silent, content to just be with one another again, comforted by the mere presence of their partner.

"So do you like our new bed?" Regina asked after a while.

Emma raised her head and looked around. "It's too big," she declared as she nuzzled back into Regina's neck.

"Too big? How can a bed be too big?" Regina asked.

"I don't want all this distance between us when we sleep," Emma rationalised. "We've been apart too long. I want to hold you close every night from now on."

Regina smiled and leaned down to kiss Emma once more. Just as the blonde deepened the kiss and rolled the brunette onto her back, the sound of rustling and whimpering came from Henry's monitor.

"Our son's awake," Regina said. Emma grinned, despite the interruption, and climbed off the brunette. Regina passed Emma a robe from the hook on the door to the ensuite and donned her own before they both left their room and walked the short distance down the carpeted corridor to the nursery.

Henry's sleepy eyes opened slowly, focusing on the two women looking down at him as he woke up. The brunette, that was his mother. She looked after him, cuddled him, fed him, loved him. His young brain also knew who the blonde was. He recognised her face, her voice, her smell. She was his mother too.


	46. Epilogue: The End

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> NSFW

28th September 2023. (Seven and a half years later)

"Tuck your heels underneath you a little more, Henry!" she called across the menage.

"Like this, Mom?" the small boy asked, readjusting his seat as he trotted around the school on his pony.

"Much better. Make sure you keep your thumbs on top of the reins too and don't let your wrists stiffen up. Keep them nice and relaxed."

Henry nodded as he moved his hands a little on the leather strap, a slight frown on his forehead as he concentrated on perfecting his riding position.

"Ok let's try that jump again. Turn Maximus when you reach C and come straight down the centre line. Keep him in trot. It's only a foot and we don't want him to get too excited. Remember to lean forward a little on the approach and give him an encouraging kick."

"Ok," Henry grinned, tightening his grip on the reins as he circled his mother at the far end of the school.

He steered his pony perfectly from the track and trotted steadily towards the coloured pole erected in the centre of the menage. His teacher held her breath as he followed her instructions before letting out a sigh of relief as Maximus' hooves landed safely on the other side, Henry bobbing slightly on his back.

"Great job Henry!" she called, clapping the pair as they trotted towards her.

"That was awesome. Can we go again?" Henry asked as he pulled his pony to a stop beside his mother.

"Not if you don't want to be late to your own birthday party," came the voice of his other mother from behind him.

"Hey," Emma said, turning to smile at Regina who was leaning against the menage fence. She hadn't heard her wife come back from the last minute party errand run she had announced at breakfast. "Did you get everything?"

"Yes," Regina said, opening the gate and walking across the sandy floor to join her family. "That was an excellent jump, Henry," she praised as she reached him, patting Maximus on his neck and grinning at her son. "You really moved well with him and didn't get left behind on the take off. You're going to be an excellent rider."

"Mom's a great teacher," Henry said, smiling at Emma.

"Thanks," the blonde grinned proudly. "But now we need to get ready. Your friends arrived in less than two hours and I don't think they're going to want to play party games with you if you smell like a horse."

"But I like the smell of horse," Henry protested, dismounting perfectly and running up his stirrups.

"That's because you're weird," Emma teased.

"Emma," Regina scolded.

"What? If that's the case then we're all weird, right?"

"True," Regina laughed, leaning forward to bury her nose in Maximus' mane. Emma was right, there was something about the smell of the creatures which she just loved.

"Can you feed Max and put him back in the field for me, Mom?" Henry asked Emma.

"The deal was you'd look after him yourself, remember?" Emma reminded him. "He's your pony and you need to make sure you feed, ride and care for him."

"But I have to have a bath now," Henry argued.

"You have time," Regina said. "I'll help you brush him down if you want and Emma can go ahead and put up the rest of the decorations I just bought."

"Oh can I?" Emma asked, turning to her wife with a twinkle in her eyes.

"Yes, they're in the trunk of the Mercedes," Regina said, taking the keys out of her pocket and passing them to the blonde along with a peck on the lips before she turned and followed Henry and Maximus back to the stable block.

Emma shook her head as she watched them go before walking towards the car.

Swan Stables had changed a lot since the two women had bought the property. Over the first two years, twenty loose boxes were built in the existing stable buildings and the livery service they offered had been full to capacity every month for the past few years. Emma had taken to horse riding right away. She and Regina rode out together as often as possible in the early days with the brunette passing on her wisdom to her new, eager student and the blonde learned quickly. As the stables got busier however, their rides together became only weekly. The riding school had opened six years ago and offered beginner, intermediate and advanced lessons for all ages. Emma and Regina owned ten horses and ponies which students could ride, and learners who had their own horse stabled there were able to practice on their own steed. Emma loved it. She had recently even taken over some of the teaching from Regina who was far more capable of the business side of things and together they were doing a roaring trade.

As soon as Henry had learnt to walk he had been put on a horse's back. For his seventh birthday, his mothers had bought him Maximus, a small white pony whom Henry just adored. The boy was a natural in the saddle and loved helping his mothers out in the stables after school and at the weekends. His bedroom walls had been redecorated by Ruby to feature a cartoon version of his own horse, around which he hung the rosettes the pair had won over the summer at different country shows.

Emma smiled as she walked across the yard towards the car, autumnal leaves coating the gravel driveway. She loved this time of year, not just because it was Henry's birthday but because of the wonderful colours and changes in nature all around their home. Unlocking the car, Emma lifted the bags out of the trunk and headed into the house. She toed off her boots in the hallway where they landed among the pile of wellingtons and padded into the kitchen to see what Regina had bought.

Emma couldn't help but sigh when she looked through the bags. Henry's birthday parties were getting bigger and bigger each year because he was a popular kid at school and both his mothers doted on him. Emma wasn't even sure the huge house had enough wall space to hang all the lights and decorations Regina had purchased. She supposed she'd have to try.

"Hello?"

"In here," Emma called, unable to answer the front door because she was balanced on a step ladder trying to hook some lights behind the curtain rail.

"Wow," Ruby said as she walked into the room. "This looks amazing."

"It's not too much?" Emma asked, finishing her task and turning around to survey the living room.

"Oh it's definitely too much but Henry is eight and therefore it is perfect," Ruby laughed.

"Where's Belle?" Emma asked, climbing down and folding the ladder away before she hugged her friend.

"Putting the cake in the fridge," Ruby said. "Where do you want the presents?"

"Erm, over there," Emma replied, pointing to the coffee table. "This kid is so spoilt," she remarked as Ruby placed three large boxes on the table.

"But he doesn't act it," Belle said as she entered the living room. "Hi Emma."

"Hey," Emma said, greeting her other friend with the kiss on the cheek. "And no, you're right. He's very modest despite being treated like a prince."

"Where is the birthday boy?" Belle asked.

"He's having a bath after his riding lesson."

"What time are you expecting the other kids to arrive?" Ruby said, sitting herself on the couch.

"Some time around three," Emma said. "And there's no time for sitting down Red, we've got a pass the parcel to wrap and mini sandwiches to make."

"You don't half leave things to the last minute do you," Ruby grumbled as she pushed herself off the couch and followed Emma and Belle into the kitchen.

"I had lessons all morning," the blonde argued. "And then Henry wanted to try jumping for the first time and since it's his birthday I couldn't say no."

"Jumping? Wow! How did that go?" Belle asked, opening the fridge and starting to help Emma with the sandwiches as Ruby began sorting through the pass the parcel prizes.

"He did great," Emma said, beaming with pride. She remembered back to the moment Henry and Maximus had cleared the pole for the first time. She couldn't be prouder of her son.

Just then, she felt her cell phone vibrate. Pulling it out, she read the message from Ashley and checked the clock on the wall above the sink.

"Ash, Sean and Alex are running late," Emma told her friends. "Apparently Alex is teething and didn't sleep well last night so they didn't want to wake her up from her nap. They're just getting ready now."

"When's MM getting here?" Ruby asked.

"Soon," Emma replied. "She texted me earlier saying she and David had left theirs already."

"I can't believe FCI have approved their engagement and David gets to keep his job," Ruby said, starting to wrap the first prize.

"Why not?" Belle said. "They love each other. Why shouldn't they be allowed to get married."

"Because he was a CO when she was inside. Surely there are rules against that," Ruby said.

"You just don't like him because he caught me with the cell phone you'd given me," Belle teased.

"He didn't have to take it off you did he?" Ruby grumbled.

"It's kinda his job to do that," Emma laughed, spreading the first slice of bread with butter.

"I still think he could have pretended to look the other way," Ruby scowled.

"Just because you couldn't get through our time apart without hearing my voice," Belle cooed.

"I like your voice," Ruby admitted, beckoning her partner over and kissing her soundly.

"All right guys, break it up. We have the best birthday party ever to prepare for!" Emma said, passing Ruby the scotch tape.

Emma collapsed on the couch that evening beside her wife who was writing in a notepad.

"Well that was the most tiring afternoon ever," the blonde yawned, looking around the now tidy living room.

The children had left at six and it had taken the best part of three hours to clean up the mess a tornado of seven and eight year olds had created throughout their house. Henry had been too excitable to go to bed for at least two hours but had finally fallen asleep in front of the television, his exhaustion catching up with him.

"It certainly was," Regina said, yawning as she put her pen down.

"What's that?" Emma asked, pointing to the notepad.

"A list of all the presents Henry received and who gave them to him," Regina explained. "I want him to write his thank you notes tomorrow."

"Urgh I hate writing thank you notes," Emma said.

"I know. It took you two months after our wedding to finish your half," Regina teased, moving to snuggle into the blonde's side.

"You wanted me to write them on our honeymoon," Emma reminded the brunette, wrapping her arm around her wife's shoulders.

"It's best to do them when the day and the presents are fresh in your mind," Regina argued.

"There are far better things to do on a honeymoon than write letters to friends," Emma replied, letting her fingertips dance down her wife's back.

"Oh I remember you very convincingly proving that to me," Regina said, shivering in delight as Emma's fingers grazed the exposed skin of her neck before sliding back down over her dress.

"We need another holiday in Europe," Emma mused. "It's been five years since Greece."

"Five years, two months and ten days," Regina corrected.

"Jeez, you know exactly how long we've been married?" Emma asked.

"Only because one of the mothers asked me at Henry's party and I got thinking about it. Don't worry, I'm only expecting you to remember the anniversary."

"July 14th 2018," Emma said.

"You're the perfect wife," Regina said, craning her neck to kiss Emma.

"No you are," Emma countered when they broke apart a few moments later.

"You gave us Henry. And he's perfect. Therefore you're perfect."

"You looked after Henry when I couldn't. That makes you our saviour and saviours are perfect," Emma argued.

"You saved me," Regina said quietly. "You pulled me from my old life, gave me someone other than myself to think about, someone to love. You made me a better person than I ever thought I could be. I can't believe it's been over eight years since we met, honey. I can't believe I've lived a good, honest life for eight years. I thought I had spiralled into a life of crime and would never get out. But here I am. I have a perfect wife, a perfect son, my own business doing something I love and honouring my father. I couldn't have done any of this without you, Emma. Thank you."

"I love you," Emma said softly, as she looked down into the slightly glistening brown eyes below her. "I would do anything for you."

"I'd do anything for you too, my love."

"Anything?" Emma asked, her mouth smirking slightly and her eyes darkening.

Regina knew that look. She sat up a little straighter and then swung her leg over so she straddled her wife's lap.

"What did you have in mind Mrs Swan-Mills?"

"I may have bought us a little present when I was shopping for Henry's birthday," Emma said, placing her hands on Regina's hips and pulling the brunette flush against her.

Regina gasped as she felt the bulge in her wife's jeans. "I'm going to ignore the fact that you bought us another strap-on when shopping for our son and instead suggest we head upstairs," the older woman said, grinding her pelvis slightly as she spoke.

Emma grinned at the answer and wrapped her arms around her wife before standing up. Regina squealed in surprise and hooked her thighs over Emma's hips. She loved that her wife could pick her up with such ease. Her heart beat quickened as Emma walked the two of them out of the room, her biceps rippling deliciously with the effort.

A few minutes later, Regina lay naked on the bed, watching in anticipation as Emma shed her jeans and panties, which joined the other clothes discarded on the floor. The black straps around slender thighs and waist caused Regina's breath to hitch before her gaze slid to the dark blue dildo between Emma's legs. Raising her eyes to meet the blonde's, Regina beckoned her wife towards her and spread her legs willingly as Emma crawled onto the bed.

"You approve?" Emma asked as she rubbed the tip of the phallus against Regina's centre.

Regina gasped at the sensation before nodding and pulling Emma flush on top of her. Their mouths met and they kissed languidly as Regina ran her hands up and down Emma's back, grasping her ass occasionally as the blonde tangled her fingers in her hair.

"I need you," Regina said breathlessly when they broke apart.

Emma nodded and pushed herself off the brunette, gesturing for Regina to get on all fours. The older woman smiled. She loved it when her wife took her from behind.

Placing her hands on Regina's ass, Emma squeezed softly before lowering her mouth licking her wife's sopping pussy. Even after eight years she moaned at the taste. She would never get enough of Regina. Her tongue danced and swirled over her folds, dipping inside her pulsing channel before sliding up and circling her asshole, nibbling her butt cheeks before returning to her clit.

As Regina's body started to tremble, Emma pulled away and quickly lined the dildo up, sliding slowly inside the dripping hole. The brunette moaned at the delicious intrusion. Compared to some of the other phallus' in the women's extensive collection, the one Emma was wearing wasn't the widest but it was long and ridged and Regina gasped as she felt it fill her completely.

Emma paused, waiting for her wife to relax slightly before she started moving. When Regina rocked her hips backwards, the younger woman pulled out slowly, marvelling as the dark blue silicon emerged covered in the brunette's essence. She pushed back in, gripping Regina's hips harder as she set a steady rhythm, the base of the dildo pressing firmly against her own clit with each thrust.

Regina tipped forward, burying her face in a pillow as Emma sped up, the dildo hitting her G spot over and over again as fingernails dug into the skin of her hips. She gasped as Emma suddenly pulled her up onto her knees and away from the bed, the blonde's front pressed against Regina's back. Emma's hard nipples grazed her skin in the most erotic way.

"I love you," Emma said, twisting Regina's face towards hers and kissing her furiously as she continued to pound into her wife, her free hand rubbing relentlessly over the brunette's hard clit.

"I .. I love - Oh God Emma!" Regina cried out as her orgasm hit her and she shuddered and quaked, strong arms wrapped around her to keep her upright.

When at last Regina's body relaxed, Emma gently pulled the dildo out and guided her wife onto the bed. Unstrapping the harness quickly, she joined Regina in the bed and tucked herself against the spent, naked woman.

"I love you," Regina said at last, rolling her head to smiled lazily at Emma.

"I know," Emma replied, kissing her on the nose.

Regina grinned at the cute gesture but then quickly began to frown.

"What's wrong?" Emma asked, concerned.

"Please tell me you weren't wearing that strap-on for the entire party," Regina said.

Emma laughed. "No don't worry. I put it on just before I came to join you in the living room."

"Good," Regina said, her face relaxing. "Because that would have been wrong."

Emma chucked again. "We don't do things wrong any more remember? I saved you."

"I'm glad I did things wrong when I was younger though," Regina said. "I'm glad you did too."

"I knew you liked a bad girl," Emma teased.

"No," Regina replied. "Well, yes, but that's not what I meant. We would never have met if we'd both been good. I'm ashamed of what I did and I don't ever want to go back to that life but being behind bars brought me the best things in my life. You and Henry. My family."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading this. I've just transferred it over from ff.net. I have lots more stories already over thre under the same pen name. Most of them will be transferred over here over the next week or so. Thanks once again for reading my work!

**Author's Note:**

> The prison mentioned is real and in Tallahassee. I googled it. That and OITNB are the only experience I have of the prison system so all mistakes and inaccuracies are my own.


End file.
